Taking an unpaid flight claim to the Canadian Transportation Agency

The Agency only steps in after the airline has had its chance: the order of the steps matters as much as the claim.

Applicable law

Last day

13 March 2027

  • Request to the airline (one year) : 13 March 2027 · 141 days left

Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · law as of October 22, 2026 · 4,008 airports (OurAirports)

The Canadian Transportation Agency resolves disputes between passengers and airlines over the Air Passenger Protection Regulations and the airlines’ tariffs. It does not replace the claim to the airline: you first have to write to the carrier that operated the flight, before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation, and give it 30 days to reply, which is also the period the Regulations give it to pay or explain a refusal. If the claim is still unresolved after those 30 days, or the answer does not apply the rules, you can file a complaint with the Agency online and attach proof of your written request. The Agency can order the airline to pay what the Regulations require. Its process takes time: news reports in 2025 described a backlog of tens of thousands of complaints and waits measured in months. Filing costs nothing, needs no lawyer, and a claims company adds nothing to the file except its fee.

The order of the steps

  1. Write to the airline that operated the flight, before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation. The letter produced by the calculator contains everything required.
  2. Wait 30 days. The airline must pay or explain why it considers nothing is owed.
  3. No answer, or a refusal that misreads the rules: file a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency, with proof of step 1.

The deadline calculator above shows the last day to send your request for a flight on the date you enter, under each regime. For a flight on 14 March 2026, the APPR request must reach the airline by 13 March 2027.

Until when can you claim?

Time limit in Germany

31 December 2029

UK261, England & Wales15 March 2032
Canada (APPR)14 March 2027

For a flight on the 15th of the month.

Open the deadline calculator →

What the Agency looks at

The question is usually the category of the cause. An airline that refuses because of “safety” or “circumstances beyond our control” must be able to show which situation of section 10 or which safety decision applied. Ask for that explanation in writing; section 13 of the Regulations obliges the airline to state the reason. A complaint that sets out the airline’s stated cause next to the facts you saw is easier to decide.

What it does not do

It does not give compensation for stress or lost earnings beyond the Regulations and tariffs, and it does not pay twice when you were already compensated under another regime (section 86.11(3)). For damage beyond the fixed amounts, a court is the route. Baggage has its own short deadlines: see delayed and lost baggage.

Common questions

Do I have to wait 30 days before complaining?

Yes, in principle. The Agency asks passengers to contact the airline in writing first and give it 30 days to respond, and to keep proof of that contact. Section 19 of the Regulations sets the same 30 days for the airline to pay or explain why compensation is not payable, so a complaint filed earlier is usually sent back.

What should the complaint file contain?

The booking confirmation, the boarding pass, the flight number and date, your written request to the airline with its date, the airline’s answer if there is one, and any message stating the cause of the disruption. Add receipts for meals or hotels you paid yourself, and say clearly what amount you are asking for and under which section.

Can I go to small claims court instead?

You can bring a claim before a provincial court instead of, or after, a complaint to the Agency, under the rules of your province. Courts set their own limits and fees. Do not pursue both for the same amount at once: compensation cannot be collected twice for the same event.

Does the Agency handle flights from Europe?

It handles complaints about flights to, from and within Canada under the Canadian rules. For compensation under the EU regulation on a flight leaving Europe, the national enforcement body of the departure country or a European court is competent. The calculator shows which regime applies to your flight.

Keep going

Flight delay compensation in Canada

APPR amounts by carrier size and delay, with the claim letter.

Air Passenger Protection Regulations

SOR/2019-150 section by section: what each part requires of the airline.

Cancelled flight and denied boarding in Canada

Notice of 14 days, rebooking deadlines and the $900 to $2,400 denied boarding scale.

Delayed or lost baggage in Canada

Montreal Convention limit in dollars, baggage fees refunded, 7 and 21-day deadlines.

Official sources for this page

Prepared by

Independent publisher of air passenger rights calculators under EU261, UK261 and Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations

Data as of · Editorial policy · Contact

Law as of 2026, checked against the official texts on