Air Canada today announced its plans to appoint
a company ombudsman to oversee the interests of its customers within the
company. The ombudsman will become Air Canada`s prime liaison with the
soon-to-be appointed Airlines Complaint Commissioner and the Canadian
Transportation Agency, the government agency charged with administering
transportation legislation and government policies in Canada. The ombudsman
will be a senior representative of Air Canada, reporting directly to the
President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Milton.

``The appointment of an ombudsman at Air Canada reflects our unwavering
commitment to listen to our customers and be responsive to their needs and
concerns in the new environment in which we are operating,`` said President
and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Milton. ``We have listened to the concerns
raised during the public consultation process. Our decision to proceed with
these initiatives recognises the transformation that is occurring in Canada`s
airline industry and underscores the commitments we have made on numerous
occasions to act responsibly in our new status as Canada`s flagship carrier.``
In addition to appointing a senior representative of the company whose
sole responsibility will be to oversee the concerns of customers, Air Canada
will initiate the development of a Customer Bill of Rights. This charter will
clearly state the standards of service to which Air Canada commits.

``The Customer Bill of Rights that we are voluntarily developing will
bring new transparency to our customer service standards that have led the
industry in North America, to the credit of our employees,`` said Robert
Milton. ``We are aware of temporary inconveniences experienced by some of our
customers as we work our way through the very complex integration process. We
wish to reassure our customers that we are focused on resolving these
transitional issues as quickly as possible and that we will maintain the
standards that have made Air Canada an internationally recognized industry
leader.``

Further details will be announced once the appointment of an ombudsman is
made.

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