News / Air & Airports

CTA fines Air Canada $426,000 for APPR violations, airline pushes back

Pax Global Media

03-31-2026 1:42 pm

This story was updated on Wednesday, April 1 at 9:32 a.m. EST

Air Canada has been fined $426,000 by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) for violations of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).

The action follows “a comprehensive investigation” conducted in relation to the August 2025 Air Canada flight attendant labour disruption, which affected numerous flights, according to a determination that was posted to the CTA’s website on March 30.

A targeted sample of affected passengers were included in the investigation, which resulted in 71 violations of the APPR, says the CTA.

Between August 15 and 20, 2025, following flight cancellations for a reason outside the carrier’s control, Air Canada committed multiple violations of the APPR when it failed to, at the passengers’ choice, provide a refund for any unused portion of the ticket, or provide passengers, free of charge, with a confirmed reservation for the next available flight that is operated by any carrier, the CTA wrote.

Air Canada has until April 18, 2026, to request a review before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada.

Air Canada to contest fine

In a statement to the National Post yesterday, Air Canada said the CTA's notice “is unfounded in law” and will contest it.

“Air Canada successfully rebooked 200,000 passengers as a result of the labour disruption, which occurred during the busiest summer travel period, when there is limited seat availability.” It said the notice “implies that airlines should be held to a standard which is impossible to achieve," the airline said in a statement.

“We not only rebooked as many passengers as we reasonably could using some of the best technology available at the time, but also introduced voluntary policies to reimburse approximately $90 million in costs incurred from hotels, meals and expenses including bookings on other airlines or alternative transportation.”

“We have filed a notice for review of this notice of violation with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada on the basis that the CTA is required to take the diligence of airlines and real-world circumstances into account.”

Canada’s flag carrier isn’t the only airline to face APPR-related penalties in recent weeks.

In early March, the CTA issued a $70,000 fine against WestJet for committing 16 violations on last year for failing to provide passengers affected by a delay (and subsequent cancellation) with food and drink “in reasonable quantities.”

Porter Airlines, too, was recently hit with a $90,500 penalty for not providing passengers with food and drink (again, in reasonable quantities), and for failing to provide 13 passengers with updated information, after a flight was cancelled.

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