Air Canada flight delays overview:
- Who: Air Canada experienced flight disruptions in May as a result of a “temporary technical issue.”
- Why: The airline attributed the disruptions to an issue with its communicator system, which it uses to communicate with and monitor its aircrafts.
- Where: Air Canada transports passengers around the globe.
- What are my options: Try cheapOair.com when booking your next flight.
Air Canada experienced flight disruptions in May as a result of what the airline called a “temporary technical issue” involving the system it uses to communicate with and monitor aircrafts.
The technical issue — which the airline said has “begun to stabilize” — caused Air Canada passengers to experience both flight delays and cancellations, reports Global News.
On June 2, Air Canada posted an update warning passengers that they may experience continued delays due to “rollover effects” from the issue and advised them to check their flight statutes before going to the airport.
The delays came only a week after a separate issue involving the communicator system caused the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground Air Canada flights in the United States on May 25 for a little more than an hour, reports Global News.
A spokesperson for Air Canada reportedly said, while the most-recent delays were caused by a problem with the same system, that they were “unrelated” to the issue that caused the FAA to ground their flights earlier in the month.
Air Canada may be required to compensate passengers impacted by the flight disruptions, says Air Passenger Rights
Gabor Lukacs, president of consumer advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, told Global News that Air Canada passengers affected by the disruption may end up being eligible to receive compensation for the travel disruption, since, he argues, the issue was related to the airlines’ system and thus considered within its control.
The amount in compensation Air Canada could have to give affected passengers would be dependent on how long after their expected arrival time that they actually reached their final destination, according to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Passengers delayed more than three hours but fewer than six hours could be eligible for $400 in compensation, while passengers with a six-to-nine hour delay could earn $700. Longer delays would be worth $1,000 in compensation, according to the Canadian Transportation Agency.
In a statement to Global News, Air Canada said it has a flexible and cost-free policy for travelers who want to adjust their plans, and that, in terms of ever providing compensation, it would deal with customers directly on a case-by-case basis.
Air Canada agreed to pay $4.5 million in November 2021 to resolve the U.S. Department of Transportation’s claims that the airline failed to properly refund thousands of customers who experienced flight cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Were you impacted by an Air Canada flight delay or cancellation? Let us know in the comments!
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One thought on Air Canada experiences flight delays twice in one week
Yes my flight AC1638 was one of the flights cancelled due to the rollover affects. They are trying to get away with not giving compensation of the $1,000 CAD per passenger that we are owed as we did not make it home for over 9 hours from when we were supposed to originally land. I currently have had to lodge a case with the CTA and email Air Canada requesting they fix this or I may have to take legal action.