OTTAWA - Families of young children who repeatedly run into no-fly list snags at the airport say a federal inquiries office intended to help them has been of little or no use.
The problems seem likely to persist because a more permanent solution promised by the Liberals -- a full redress system to deal with mistaken identities -- is still at least 16 months away.
The parents of dozens of youngsters have experienced nerve-fraying airport delays because their children's names match those on a confidential security list.
In June, the Liberal government announced the Passenger Protect Inquiries Office to help people who are delayed during the check-in process and asked to provide identification, have to wait at the counter due to a ticketing agent placing a phone call to other officials, or are denied boarding for whatever reason.
Families with young children who have explained their cases to the office continue to experience airport hassles, said Khadija Cajee, a spokeswoman for the group known as the No Fly List Kids.
Cajee, who lives in Markham, Ont., says at least four families -- including her own -- received only an explanatory letter from the inquiries office one month after submitting details of their children's cases.
