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AIR CANADA · CANCELLATION · AC · UK 261 AND EC 261

What is a cancelled Air Canada flight worth?

A cancelled Air Canada flight triggers two separate rights under EC 261 and UK 261: a refund within 7 days or rerouting under Art. 8, and compensation of €250, €400 or €600 or £220, £350 or £520 under Art. 7 unless the airline gave 14 days notice or a close replacement flight. The CAA's May 2026 file records 2 Air Canada cancellations, 0.33 percent of its flying.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

How often Air Canada flights were cancelled, May 2026

UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PUNCTUALITY STATISTICS, MAY 2026
MEASUREVALUE
Flights matched598
Flights cancelled2
Cancellation rate0.33%
Contains data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics. Figures aggregate the CAA operators marketed as Air Canada: AIR CANADA.

When does a cancelled Air Canada flight pay compensation?

THE NOTICE WINDOWS, ART. 5(1)(C)
WHEN YOU WERE TOLDCOMPENSATION DUE?
14 days or more before departureNo. Refund or rerouting only
Two weeks to seven days beforeYes, unless the replacement departed no more than 2 hours early and arrived less than 4 hours late
Under seven daysYes, unless the replacement departed no more than 1 hour early and arrived less than 2 hours late
Windows quoted from Art. 5(1)(c)(i) to (iii) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. The airline must also prove it informed you: notice given only to a travel agent and not passed on to the passenger does not count (Krijgsman, C-302/16).

What does Air Canada owe besides compensation?

The Art. 8 choice: a full refund within seven days for the parts of the journey not made, or rerouting to the final destination at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date of your choice. Care under Art. 9 applies while you wait. These duties stand even where an extraordinary circumstance defeats the compensation itself.

Common questions

Air Canada rebooked me. Can I still claim compensation?

Rerouting satisfies one duty; compensation is a separate one. On a cancellation with under 14 days notice, compensation can still be due where the replacement flight fell outside the departure and arrival windows in Art. 5(1)(c). The free check applies those windows to your times.

I accepted a refund. Is compensation gone?

No. The Art. 8 refund covers the unused ticket; Art. 7 compensation is a separate claim for the disruption itself. Accepting one does not waive the other.

Can Air Canada pay the compensation as a voucher?

Art. 7(3) requires payment in money (cash, transfer or cheque) unless the passenger signs an agreement to accept travel vouchers or other services. You can decline a voucher and ask for the cash amount.

What about meals and hotels while I waited?

Care under Art. 9 (meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, plus accommodation and transfers where an overnight stay becomes necessary) is a separate duty, and it applies even where the cause was outside the airline's control. Keep receipts.

CONTAINS DATA FROM THE UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PUNCTUALITY STATISTICS.

SOURCES

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 5(1)(c) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 8(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  4. Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor, judgment of 19 November 2009 (ECLI:EU:C:2009:716) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  5. UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics, full analysis (monthly CSV) · UK Civil Aviation Authority · checked 7 August 2026

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The free check applies these rules to your Air Canada flight and shows the amount before any personal details.

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