Air Canada Delayed from Europe? Claim EU261 Compensation Up to €600
Air Canada (IATA: AC) operates transatlantic flights from major European hubs including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich, Dublin, and Manchester to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and other Canadian cities. Although Canadian, EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all airlines for flights departing from EU or UK airports. Every Air Canada transatlantic departure from Europe exceeds 5,000 km, qualifying for the maximum €600 per person with a 4+ hour delay.
Key rule: EU/UK departures are covered, Canada arrivals are not
EU261 applies to every airline departing from EU/UK airports. London–Toronto on Air Canada: covered. Toronto–London on Air Canada: NOT covered (Air Canada is not an EU carrier; the departure is from Canada). You can only claim on the outbound EU/UK leg.
✈️ All Air Canada routes from EU/UK qualify for €600
Every Air Canada transatlantic route from Europe exceeds 3,500 km — most exceed 5,000 km. With a 4+ hour arrival delay in Canada, you are entitled to €600 per person. UK passengers have a 6-year window — London flights from 2020 are still claimable today.
Key Air Canada routes — compensation amounts
| Route | Distance | Compensation | Claim window |
|---|---|---|---|
| London LHR–Toronto YYZ | ~5,700 km | €600 | 6 years (UK) |
| London LHR–Montreal YUL | ~5,500 km | €600 | 6 years (UK) |
| London LHR–Vancouver YVR | ~7,600 km | €600 | 6 years (UK) |
| Frankfurt FRA–Toronto YYZ | ~6,800 km | €600 | 3 years (Germany) |
| Frankfurt FRA–Vancouver YVR | ~8,700 km | €600 | 3 years (Germany) |
| Paris CDG–Montreal YUL | ~5,550 km | €600 | 5 years (France) |
Am I eligible?
How to claim Air Canada EU261 compensation
- 1
File directly with Air Canada
Submit your EU261 claim via Air Canada's customer relations portal. Include your booking reference (PNR), AC flight number, EU/UK departure airport, and your actual arrival time in Canada.
Air Canada delayed/cancelled flights → - 2
Escalate to national authority of your EU/UK departure
UK CAA for London, Manchester. DGAC for Paris. LBA for Frankfurt. ILT for Amsterdam. IAA for Dublin. All can enforce EU261 against Air Canada. Free process, takes 3–6 months.
Find your national enforcement body → - 3
Use a no-win no-fee service
AirHelp handles Air Canada claims and takes ~25% only if successful. UK passengers with 6-year window have the most time — worth checking even old flights.
Check via AirHelp →
Air Canada denial tactics to watch for
- →"EU261 doesn't apply to Air Canada" — false for EU/UK-departure flights; EU law applies to all carriers departing from EU airports
- →"Canadian law (APPR) applies, not EU261" — for flights departing from EU/UK airports, EU261 takes precedence; APPR applies to Canadian-departure flights
- →Offering Aeroplan miles or travel credit instead of cash — you are entitled to cash compensation under EU261
- →"Technical issue as extraordinary" — aircraft maintenance is not extraordinary under EU261
- →Delays due to connections from Canada — if your delay happened on a UK/EU-departure Air Canada leg, EU261 applies regardless of your full itinerary
Air Canada vs Air Transat from Europe
Both Air Canada and Air Transat operate transatlantic routes from European airports to Canada, both covered by EU261 for EU/UK departures. Air Canada is the full-service option; Air Transat is a leisure carrier focusing on package holidaymakers. If you flew either carrier from a European airport, EU261 compensation applies on the same basis.
Find past Air Canada delays in your inbox
SubRadar scans your Gmail or Outlook for Air Canada booking emails and flags disrupted EU/UK-departure flights — up to 6 years for UK flights.
Scan my inbox free →EU261 guides for other airlines: