Canada flight delay compensation: APPR amounts and rules

Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) set fixed compensation for flight delays and cancellations that are within the airline's control. The amount depends on how late you reach your final destination and on whether the airline is large or small. This guide covers the amounts, the four conditions you must meet, what airlines owe in every case, and how to claim.

The APPR apply to flights to, from and within Canada. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is the regulator that publishes guidance and handles complaints.

The compensation amounts

Compensation is based on your arrival delay at the final destination on your original ticket. The amounts below are in Canadian dollars and come from section 19 of the regulations.

Large airlines:

• 3 hours or more, but less than 6: $400

• 6 hours or more, but less than 9: $700

• 9 hours or more: $1,000

Small airlines:

• 3 hours or more, but less than 6: $125

• 6 hours or more, but less than 9: $250

• 9 hours or more: $500

If the airline cancels or delays your flight and you choose a refund instead of travelling, the minimum compensation is $400 from a large airline or $125 from a small one.

The four conditions

According to the CTA, the airline must pay compensation if all of these apply:

1. The delay or cancellation was within the airline's control and not required for safety.

2. You were told about it 14 days or less before your original departure time.

3. You arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late.

4. You filed a written claim with the airline within 1 year of the delay or cancellation.

If the airline told you about a cancellation or schedule change more than 14 days ahead, your rights come from the airline's tariff, the legal terms and conditions of your ticket.

The three categories of disruption

What the airline owes depends on which category it puts the disruption in:

• Within the airline's control. Examples from the CTA: scheduled maintenance, choice of aircraft and staffing schedules. You may get help at the airport, rebooking or a refund, and compensation.

• Within the airline's control but required for safety. Unplanned problems the airline controls but that pose a safety risk. You may get help at the airport and rebooking or a refund, but no compensation.

• Outside the airline's control. Examples include severe weather, air traffic control instructions, security threats, medical emergencies, labour disputes affecting the airline or essential services, and aircraft defects identified by manufacturers or safety authorities. You may get rebooking or a refund.

The CTA notes that the real cause is sometimes only confirmed later, after you contact the airline or file a complaint. The airline must tell you the reason for the delay or cancellation, so ask for the specific cause in writing.

Large or small airline?

A large airline has carried more than 2 million passengers in each of the past 2 calendar years. The CTA lists Air Canada (including Jazz and Rouge), WestJet, Sunwing, Air Transat, Porter and Flair as large. The airline's tariff states its size.

If a small airline operates a flight sold by a large airline, for example under a codeshare, the large airline's rules for compensation, rebooking and refunds apply.

What the airline owes in every controllable case

Food, drink and accommodation. If you were told about the delay less than 12 hours before departure and have waited 2 hours past the original departure time, the airline must provide food and drink in reasonable quantities and a way to communicate. If you must wait overnight, it must offer a hotel or similar accommodation and transport to and from it. This applies to both controllable categories.

Rebooking. A large airline must rebook you on its next available flight or a partner's. If it can't get you out within 9 hours of your original departure, it must book you on any airline from your airport. If it can't rebook you within 48 hours, it must book you on any airline, including from a nearby airport if there is one.

Refund. If rebooking no longer meets your needs, the airline must refund the unused part of your ticket. If you are stuck at a connecting airport, it must also fly you back to where you started. Refunds are due within 30 days.

Payment form. Compensation must be offered as money, such as cash, cheque or bank transfer. The airline may offer a voucher instead only if it tells you the cash amount, the voucher is worth more, it doesn't expire, and you confirm in writing that you chose it.

Example: working out the arrival delay

Sample notice, Northgate Air (synthetic, large airline):

Flight NG 482 Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR), 14 June. Scheduled arrival 11:05. Actual arrival 15:40. Reason for delay: operational reasons.

What to notice:

• The arrival was 4 hours 35 minutes late, so the 3-to-6-hour band applies: $400 from a large airline, if the delay was within its control and not required for safety.

• "Operational reasons" doesn't say which category applies. Ask the airline to state the specific cause.

• Delay is measured at your final destination, not at the departure gate.

How to claim

1. Collect your documents. Ticket or booking confirmation, booking code, boarding pass, airline notices and receipts.

2. Note the times. Original arrival and actual arrival at your final destination.

3. Write to the airline. Use its APPR compensation form or customer relations email. Include your flight details, the arrival delay, and a request for compensation under section 19 of the APPR. Ask for the specific cause.

4. Wait up to 30 days. The airline has 30 days to pay or explain why it won't.

5. Escalate to the CTA. If you disagree with the answer or get none within 30 days, you can file a complaint with the CTA. Keep proof that you contacted the airline in writing.

You can only be compensated once for the same disruption. If you already received compensation under another country's rules, such as the EU's, you can't claim again under the APPR. The CTA also can't award amounts for stress, pain and suffering, or lost income under these rules.

Get your delay notice checked

EasyToDecode is launching soon. Upload your booking and the airline's notice, and it will quote the times and stated cause, work out your arrival delay, show which APPR conditions your documents do and don't confirm, and draft a claim letter that asks for the specific reason. You send it yourself, so any payment goes to you. See how it works or join the waitlist.

Where to check

Read the regulations on the Justice Laws Website and the CTA's passenger protection pages for current guidance. The regulations we checked were current to September 21, 2026.