2 passengers traveling from Canada to Egypt sued Air Canada for a 56-hour flight delay and won $740 each in compensation

Air Canada was sued by two travelers due to a significant delay spanning over 56 hours on their journey comprising three different flights. The individuals, accompanied by three relatives, were en route from Canada to Cairo, Egypt. As a consequence of the lawsuit, the two passengers were granted a settlement of $740 per person for inconvenience, along with an additional $115 covering interest and fees.

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Two travelers hailing from Kelowna, Canada, emerged victorious in a legal battle against Air Canada due to a massive hold-up in their overseas flight, causing them a staggering delay of 56 long hours.

According to a document filed on August 8, Abdallah Mohamed and Ghada Ali, who were traveling as passengers, received a compensation of 1,000 Canadian dollars each, which amounts to $740. Additionally, they were also granted a sum of 155.48 Canadian dollars to cover interest and fees. This decision was made by the British Columbia civil resolution tribunal after determining that Air Canada failed to provide evidence that justified the delay, with the cause being beyond the airline's control.

Mohamed and Ali embarked on a journey from the bustling city of Kelowna in Canada to the vibrant destination of Cairo in Egypt. Accompanied by three other individuals from the same kinship, they embarked on an international voyage on the 4th of July, 2022. This extensive flight consisted of three separate segments: commencing at Kelowna and concluding at Vancouver, then onward to London, England, before finally reaching their desired final destination, Cairo. The precise connection between the two aforementioned passengers remains undisclosed at present.

The initial flight of the group set off from Kelowna after a delay of two hours and nine minutes on July 4, causing them to miss their connecting flight in Vancouver. Afterwards, Air Canada made alternate arrangements for the group, rescheduling their departure from Vancouver to July 6. Consequently, they arrived in Cairo considerably behind schedule.

The argument revolved around whether the flight's tardiness resulted from workforce problems within Air Canada's jurisdiction as argued by the travelers or from factors beyond the carrier's authority.

Air Canada stated that the reason for the flight delay was because of "limitations by air traffic control" and a ground delay initiative — a protocol implemented by Nav Canada, the entity responsible for supervising the nation's air traffic controllers.

Shelley Lopez, the deputy head of small claims at the civil resolution tribunal in British Columbia, discovered that Air Canada failed to consider the plaintiff's claims that a different flight left Kelowna on schedule, despite the delay at the airport.

"I believe it is Air Canada's responsibility to prove that the main reason for the delay that affected the passengers' ability to catch their connecting flight AC862 was beyond their control, and I find that it has not been able to do that," declared Lopez, making reference to the flight departing from Canada.

Mohamed and Ali were hoping to be granted a sum of 5,000 Canadian dollars as reimbursement. This amount accounted for 1,000 Canadian dollars for every member of their family, as they were a group of five travelers.

Nevertheless, Lopez discovered that the two passengers were unable to pursue a lawsuit on behalf of their three friends and subsequently dismissed the remaining part of the claim.

Insider made a request for comment from Air Canada outside of their usual working hours, but there was no immediate response from the company.