Canada rules
Air Passenger Protection Regulations
Canada's APPR is the closest thing outside Europe to EU261. It pays more at the top end, but it draws the line between causes more finely.
What it pays
- Large airlines: C$400 for 3–6 hours late, C$700 for 6–9 hours, C$1,000 for 9 hours or more.
- Small airlines: C$125, C$250 and C$500 at the same thresholds.
Delay is measured on arrival at your destination, as in Europe.
Three categories of cause
- Within the airline's control — full compensation plus care.
- Within its control but required for safety — care and rebooking, no compensation.
- Outside its control — rebooking only.
Airlines lean heavily on the safety category, so ask which one they are claiming and why.
Claiming
Claim in writing to the airline first; it has 30 days to respond. If it refuses, the Canadian Transportation Agency runs a free complaint process. The claim window is one year from the flight.
Quick answer
Canada's APPR is the closest thing outside Europe to EU261. It pays more at the top end, but it draws the line between causes more finely.
- Jurisdiction
- Canada
- Primary rule
- APPR
- Payment basis
- CAD (C$)
- Assessment
- Depends on route, disruption and cause
Domande frequenti
- Does APPR cover flights to Europe?
- It covers flights to, from and within Canada. A Toronto–Paris flight can fall under APPR and, if operated by an EU carrier into the EU, potentially EU261 too — you claim under one, not both.
- The airline said 'safety-related'. Is that the end?
- Not necessarily. Routine maintenance that should have been planned is generally not a safety carve-out; ask for specifics.
- How long do I have?
- One year from the date of the flight, shorter than most European deadlines.
Primary sources
Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.
- Air passenger protection — Canadian Transportation Agency