Canada APPR compensation
Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations pay CA$400, CA$700 or CA$1,000 for a delay that is within the airline's control, according to how late you finally arrive. Denied boarding pays CA$900 to CA$2,400. Unusually, the amount turns on the cause rather than the distance flown.
Check your own flight against the APPR →Who it covers
- All flights to, from and within Canada, including connections on the same ticket.
- Amounts differ between large and small carriers. The figures here are for large carriers — those that have carried two million passengers or more in each of the last two years.
- Unlike Europe, the cause decides the amount, not the distance flown.
What it pays
| Distance or situation | Per passenger |
|---|---|
| Arrival 3–6 hours late | CA$400 |
| Arrival 6–9 hours late | CA$700 |
| Arrival 9 or more hours late | CA$1,000 |
What triggers it
Within the airline's control
Full compensation as above. Commercial decisions, crew scheduling and ordinary maintenance all sit here.
Within control but required for safety
No compensation, but the airline still owes rebooking and the standard of care.
Outside the airline's control
No compensation. Weather, air traffic control instructions and security events sit here — but the airline must still get you to your destination.
Denied boarding
CA$900, CA$1,800 or CA$2,400 depending on how late you ultimately arrive.
Duty of care — separate from compensation
From two hours' delay the airline owes food and drink, and access to communications. Where an overnight stay becomes necessary it owes a hotel and transport to it. This is owed even where the cause is outside the airline's control.
The refusals airlines send, and what answers them
“It was outside our control”
The airline must tell you the reason, in writing, and the category it claims. Ask for it. Crew shortages and routine maintenance are within the airline's control however they are described.
“It was a safety issue”
This category removes compensation but not the duty of care or rebooking. An airline reaching for it still has to look after you and still has to get you there.
Enforcement
The Canadian Transportation Agency handles complaints once the airline has had its chance to answer. Its decisions are binding.
How long you have
You have one year from the disruption to file a claim with the airline under the APPR.
Questions
How much does the APPR pay?
CA$400 for arrival 3–6 hours late; CA$700 for arrival 6–9 hours late; CA$1,000 for arrival 9 or more hours late.
How long do I have to claim?
You have one year from the disruption to file a claim with the airline under the APPR.
Who enforces it?
The Canadian Transportation Agency handles complaints once the airline has had its chance to answer. Its decisions are binding.
Primary sources
Read the law itself rather than anyone's summary of it, this one included. Every link below was checked on 12 September 2026.
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150) — Justice Laws Website
- Air passenger protection — Canadian Transportation Agency
By situation, rather than by statute
If you would rather start from what happened than from which law applies: my flight was cancelled · they are blaming a strike · they are blaming a technical fault · I was denied boarding · I am stuck at the airport · I missed my connection · they moved me to a lower class · my bag did not arrive · they say it was extraordinary · should I use a claim company?
Worked examples on real routes
Where this law and another both reach the same flight, and which pays more:
The other statutes
- EU261 compensation — EU261
- UK261 compensation — UK261
- Israeli Aviation Services Law — the Aviation Services Law
- US DOT flight delay rules — US DOT rules
- Montreal Convention 1999 — the Montreal Convention
- Russia Air Code Article 120 — Article 120 of the Air Code
- SHY passenger rights, Turkey — the SHY-Passenger Regulation
- India DGCA rules — the DGCA CAR
- ANAC Resolution 400, Brazil — ANAC Resolution 400
- Thailand CAAT rules — the CAAT passenger rules
- Indonesia PM 89/2015 — Ministerial Regulation PM 89
- Saudi GACA passenger rights — the GACA customer protection rules