APPR — Canadian Flight Compensation
Air Passenger Protection Regulations — CAD $125 to $1,000 for delays and disruptions
What is APPR?
Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) came into force in 2019 under the Canada Transportation Act. They give air passengers the right to fixed financial compensation when flights are delayed or cancelled, and when passengers are denied boarding against their will.
APPR applies to all flights departing from, arriving at, or operating within Canada. Unlike EU261, it distinguishes between large and small airlines, and uses delay-length tiers rather than distance tiers.
Which flights are covered?
APPR applies to flights that:
- Depart from a Canadian airport, or
- Arrive at a Canadian airport on a carrier operating in Canada.
Compensation amounts for delays (large airlines)
| Arrival delay at final destination | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 3 to under 6 hours | CAD $400 |
| 6 to under 9 hours | CAD $700 |
| 9 hours or more | CAD $1,000 |
Compensation for delays (small airlines)
| Arrival delay at final destination | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 3 to under 6 hours | CAD $125 |
| 6 to under 9 hours | CAD $250 |
| 9 hours or more | CAD $500 |
Most major carriers (Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, Flair, Air Transat) are classified as large airlines. APPR defines a large airline as one with 1 million or more passengers carried in the previous year.
Cancellations
If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to compensation unless the airline informed you at least 14 days before departure. The compensation tiers are the same as for delays (based on the delay to your re-routed arrival vs. your original scheduled arrival).
Denied boarding
If you are involuntarily denied boarding, you are entitled to compensation ranging from CAD $900 to $2,400 depending on the length of the delay to your re-routed arrival, plus meals and refreshments.
Right to care during delays
For delays of 2 hours or more at the gate, airlines must provide meals and refreshments and access to a means of communication. For overnight delays caused by the airline, accommodation and transportation to/from the airport must be provided.
Extraordinary circumstances
Airlines are not required to pay compensation if the disruption was caused by a safety issue outside their control — for example:
- Air traffic control decisions or airport closures
- Severe weather that makes it unsafe to operate
- Government directives (security threats, airspace closures)
- A medical emergency requiring diversion
Technical faults generally do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances under APPR — airlines are expected to maintain their aircraft.
How to claim
Submit a written claim to the airline within one year of the incident. The airline has 30 days to respond. If you're unsatisfied, you can file a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) at otc-cta.gc.ca.
Use our step-by-step guide for a demand letter template, or a specialist service that handles it for you.
Time limit
You must file your claim with the airline within 1 year of the flight. This is the shortest limitation period of the major passenger-rights regimes — don't delay.