APPR changes: what's in force, what's proposed, and what it means for your claim
Updated · Checked against the regulations as current to September 3, 2026 · By LandedLate
The Air Passenger Protection Regulations in force are the 2019 rules as last amended on September 8, 2022. Two further changes are proposed but not in force: draft amendments published in the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2024, which would narrow the exceptions that excuse compensation, and Bill C-31, which would move air travel complaints to the Minister of Transport. Until they take effect, claims use the current rules. Last checked September 27, 2026.
Status check
| Item | Status on September 27, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Official text of the regulations | Current to September 3, 2026; last amended September 8, 2022 |
| December 2024 draft amendments | Proposed. No final version found in Canada Gazette Part II |
| Bill C-31 | At committee stage in the House of Commons; not passed |
| Complaint backlog (agency figure) | 84,398 at March 31, 2025 |
Changes in force
Most of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations take effect, including communication during disruptions, tarmac delays, rebooking, compensation for being bumped, and lost or damaged baggage.
SOR/2019-150, s. 46(1)
The rest take effect: food, drink and hotels during delays (section 14), the $400 to $1,000 compensation for delays and cancellations (section 19), and seating children near a parent (section 22).
SOR/2019-150, s. 46(2)
Refunds for disruptions outside the airline's control: if it can't rebook you within 48 hours, you can choose a refund. Refunds must be paid within 30 days.
SOR/2022-134
Parliament amends the Canada Transportation Act: compensation is presumed payable unless the airline proves otherwise, and the complaint process is streamlined. The compensation changes need amended regulations to take full effect.
Bill C-47, S.C. 2023, c. 26
Proposed, not in force
Published for comment in Canada Gazette Part I. The draft would list, exhaustively, the exceptional circumstances that excuse compensation, and they would excuse it only if the disruption couldn't have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. It would also give bumped passengers at least the lowest compensation amount even without a delay at arrival, unless an exceptional circumstance caused it, let passengers choose a refund once a delay reaches 3 hours without first waiting for rebooking, require refunds within 15 days, and require meals and hotels for up to 72 hours even when the cause is an exceptional circumstance such as weather.
The Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2 would transfer responsibility for resolving air travel complaints from the Canadian Transportation Agency to the Minister of Transport, allow third parties to clear the backlog, remove mandatory confidentiality for complaints, and raise the maximum penalties for corporations.
What the draft would change for your claim
| Situation | Rules in force | December 2024 draft |
|---|---|---|
| Cause outside the airline's control | An open-ended category with examples (section 10) | A closed list, and only if unavoidable with all reasonable measures |
| “Required for safety” | Its own category: no compensation (section 11) | The separate category goes, as the 2023 amendments to the Act require. Until new regulations are made, section 11 still applies |
| Meals and hotel when the cause is weather or similar | Not required (section 10(3)) | Required, for up to 72 hours |
| Bumped from a flight | $900 to $2,400, only if within the airline's control (section 20) | At least the lowest amount, even if on time or refunded, unless an exceptional circumstance |
| Refund during a long delay | After rebooking fails to suit you, or can't happen in time | Your choice once the delay reaches 3 hours |
| Refund deadline | 30 days (section 18.2) | 15 days |
From the draft as published in Canada Gazette Part I. The final regulations may differ.
What to do now
Claim under the rules in force. Crew shortages, avoidable maintenance and vague “safety” reasons are already challengeable today: crew shortages, weather, the five-question check.
Questions
Are the new APPR rules in force?
No. The draft amendments published in the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2024 had not been made final as of September 27, 2026: we found no final version in Canada Gazette Part II, and the official consolidated text still shows its last amendment as September 8, 2022.
Should I wait for the new rules before claiming?
No. You have one year from the delay or cancellation to claim (section 19(3)), and the rules that apply are the ones in force now. Claim under the current rules.
What would the December 2024 draft change?
It would replace the open-ended "outside the airline's control" category with an exhaustive list of exceptional circumstances that excuse compensation only if the disruption couldn't have been avoided with all reasonable measures. It would also give bumped passengers at least the lowest compensation amount even if they arrive on time, unless an exceptional circumstance caused it, let passengers choose a refund once a delay reaches 3 hours, require refunds within 15 days, and require meals and hotels for up to 72 hours even in exceptional circumstances. One listed exception is an unforeseeable technical defect, if strict conditions are met.
What is Bill C-31?
The Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2, introduced May 6, 2026. Among other things, it would move the handling of air travel complaints from the Canadian Transportation Agency to the Minister of Transport and allow third parties to clear the complaint backlog. As of our last check it was at committee stage in the House of Commons.
How big is the complaint backlog?
The Canadian Transportation Agency reported a backlog of 84,398 complaints at March 31, 2025, and 46,980 complaints received in 2024–25. News reports in 2026 cite higher figures.
Sources
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations, SOR/2019-150 (Justice Laws: current to 2026-09-03, last amended 2022-09-08)
- Canada Gazette Part II: SOR/2022-134, Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (June 22, 2022)
- Parliament of Canada, LEGISinfo: Bill C-47 (44th Parliament), Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1
- Canada Gazette Part I: proposed Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (December 21, 2024)
- Parliament of Canada, LEGISinfo: Bill C-31 (45th Parliament), Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2
- Canadian Transportation Agency: statistics 2024–2025
General information, not legal advice.