Canadian Supreme Court Rules Against Airlines Upholding Passenger Rights Rules

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld passenger protection rights, ruling against the airline industry. Under this decision, airlines, both Canadian and international, are required to compensate travelers for international flight disruptions, according to the court's ruling . The court's decision comes in response to the airline industry's appeal against this set of rules, upholding Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which came into force in 2019.

Origins of the ruling In May 2019, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) introduced the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), which mandated airlines to compensate travelers for international flight disruptions. These disruptions include flight delays, cancelations, and denied boarding when the airline is responsible, and the issue is not related to safety. However, several air carriers serving Canadian and international airports and airline associations challenged those provisions.

Airlines argued that Canada has no authority to enforce regulations on foreign airlines, and the proposed compensation does not align with international air travel standards. The list of airlines that appealed the 2019 decision includes Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Air China, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Cathay Pacific, Swiss International Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air Canada , Porter Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. The International Air .