The authority that operates Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has deemed that advertising by the passenger-rights advocate FlightClaim.ca is not appropriate because its business is incompatible with the airport’s guiding principles.
This is despite the fact that FlightClaim.ca’s business is to assist air travellers.
FlightClaim.ca told Business in Vancouver that it sought to place advertisements in passenger areas at YVR to help passengers be more aware of their rights to compensation from airlines in cases when there are travel disruptions, as well as services that FlightClaim.ca offers.
FlightClaim.ca said that it first consulted with the Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA), which manages YVR, and then learned from Astral Media, the company that VAA contracts to place and manage airport advertising, that FlightClaim.ca’s advertisements would not be allowed.
VAA held its annual public meeting on May 10 and its vice-president of commercial development, Scott Norris, was asked why the VAA turned down FlightClaim.ca’s advertising dollars.
“We follow some guidelines around what’s appropriate for the airport, for the various different users of the airport, from passengers to the different businesses and communities,” he said at the meeting.
“We see a lot of proposals from various organizations who want to message our people at the airport. In this case, we didn’t think it was consistent with our advertising standards and refused.”
BIV followed up with Norris after the meeting and he clarified a bit in a written statement, saying that FlightClaim.ca’s business itself does not align with the airport’s guiding principles even though the company’s mandate is to help air travellers.
“Advertising creative should be formulated and designed to be suitable for an airport setting and audience and respect all age groups, genders, cultures, business partners, government agencies and adhere to provincial, municipal and Canadian laws,” Norris said.
“Flight Claim’s business does not currently align with these guiding principles and therefore they were not permitted to place advertisements at YVR.”
About 56 per cent of the $529 million in revenue that the VAA generated in 2017 came from either the airport improvement fee or what it calls “aeronautical” sources, such as airlines.
@GlenKorstrom
