Is a weather delay compensated in Canada? No, but check that it was really the weather

Updated September 27, 2026 · Checked against the regulations as current to September 3, 2026 · By LandedLate

No. Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, weather that makes flying unsafe is outside the airline's control, so no compensation is owed, and the airline doesn't have to pay for meals or a hotel. You are owed updates, and a seat on a flight leaving within 48 hours or a refund if the airline can't manage that (sections 10(3) and 18). But the airline has to be able to show the weather really caused your disruption. If it can't, a large airline owes $400 to $1,000 per passenger. Rules as of September 27, 2026.

What you're owed after a weather delay or cancellation

What	Weather	Airline's fault
Compensation	None	$400 to $1,000 (large airline)
Meals, drinks, a phone or internet	Not required	After a 2-hour wait, if told less than 12 hours ahead
Hotel and transport overnight	Not required	Yes, if told less than 12 hours ahead
A new flight	Leaving within 48 hours, on the airline or a partner	Leaving within 9 hours on the airline or a partner, then any airline within 48 hours (large airlines)
Refund	If it can't rebook you within 48 hours	If the new flight doesn't suit you
Updates	The reason, then every 30 minutes	The reason, then every 30 minutes

Sections 10(3), 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18 of the regulations. The Canadian Transportation Agency's own guide states that the requirement to provide food, drink, communications and overnight accommodation does not apply to situations outside the airline's control.

When “weather” doesn't hold up

The regulations excuse “meteorological conditions or natural disasters that make the safe operation of the aircraft impossible” (section 10(1)(c)). Bad weather somewhere on the day isn't enough.

Likely owed

The airline moved your plane or crew to protect a different flight, or can't produce evidence that weather made your flight unsafe to operate.

Worth challenging

The weather hit an earlier flight or another airport. That counts only if the airline took all reasonable steps to stop the delay reaching your flight (section 10(2)).

Weather holds

Conditions at your airport, or on your route, stopped your flight operating safely, and the airline can show it.

Rulings on weather claims

Case	What happened	Result
Beauchamp v. WestJet, 68-C-A-2023	WestJet cancelled a December 2019 Halifax to Ottawa flight over forecast snow and freezing rain. It filed undecoded weather reports and a list of 64 delays and 22 cancellations at Ottawa airport. The agency said neither showed weather caused this cancellation.	$1,000 ordered
Paridon v. Sunwing, 16-C-A-2022	Sunwing blamed an earlier weather delay. In fact it had moved this flight's cabin crew to finish the delayed flight, so the agency found the delay wasn't a knock-on effect of the weather.	$700 each ordered

What to ask the airline for

If you doubt the weather explanation, ask the airline in writing for:

the specific weather conditions it relied on, and the airport and time they applied to;
whether they were at your departure or arrival airport, or affected an earlier flight;
if an earlier flight was affected, what it did to stop the delay reaching yours;
whether your plane or crew was moved to another flight.

The airline has 30 days to pay or explain (section 19(4)), and its explanation has to be specific enough for you to judge it.

Write my reply

Free. LandedLate takes no share of what the airline pays you.

International trips: expenses

On an international trip you may also be able to claim expenses the delay caused under the Montreal or Warsaw Convention, separately from the fixed compensation. Claim from the airline in writing first; court action has a 2-year time limit. Credit card travel insurance can also cover hotels and meals during a weather delay.

Questions

Does the airline have to give me a hotel if my flight is cancelled because of weather?

No, not under the regulations. Meals, a means of communication and hotel rooms (section 14) are required only when the cause was within the airline's control, including safety-related problems. For a cause outside its control, section 10(3) requires information and rebooking or a refund, nothing more. The Canadian Transportation Agency's guide says the same. Some airlines offer help anyway, and some credit cards' travel insurance covers hotel costs.

Does Air Canada compensate for weather delays?

No, when weather genuinely caused the delay. Air Canada, like every airline flying to, from or within Canada, owes compensation only for disruptions within its control. If you think weather wasn't the real cause, ask Air Canada for the specific conditions, airport and time, and claim anyway.

What if the weather was at another airport?

A delay caused by an earlier weather disruption counts as weather only if the airline took all reasonable measures to limit the knock-on effect (section 10(2)). If it didn't, or if it moved your plane or crew to protect a different flight, your delay can be within its control.

The weather was fine when my flight was cancelled. Can I claim?

Yes, you can claim and make the airline show its evidence. In Beauchamp v. WestJet (68-C-A-2023), the agency ordered $1,000 because WestJet gave no evidence, from the time it cancelled, that the forecast weather would have prevented safe operation.

Can I get a refund for a weather cancellation?

Yes, if the airline can't get you on a flight that leaves within 48 hours of your original departure. Then you choose between a refund of the unused part of your ticket and another flight (section 18(1.1)). If the trip no longer serves any purpose and you're away from home, the airline must refund the ticket and fly you back to where you started (section 18(1.2)).

Sources

General information, not legal advice.