5820-04070 — Transport Canada and Department of Justice Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada and Global Affairs Canada and Canada Border Services Agency and Public Safety Canada

The complainant alleged that Transport Canada's 510-day time extension to respond to an access request was unreasonable. The request sought records related to the implementation of new testing and quarantine measures for non-essential international air travel. Transport Canada justified the extension under paragraphs 9(1)(a) for a large volume of records, 9(1)(b) for necessary consultations with five other government institutions, and 9(1)(c) for third-party consultations. The Commissioner found that the request involved a large volume of records (over 3,000 pages) and that responding within 30 days would unreasonably interfere with Transport Canada's operations, particularly due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting on-site access to classified documents. The Commissioner also determined that consultations with other government bodies and third parties were necessary and could not be completed within 30 days. The Commissioner concluded that the total 510-day extension was reasonable given the circumstances, including the pandemic's impact on operations and the complexity of consultations. Therefore, the complaint was not well founded.