If you're planning on travelling out of Pearson Airport in Toronto soon or really any airport in Canada, you'll be delighted to hear that there's a new flight refund regulation in case your flight gets cancelled.

The Canadian Transportation Agency announced today that it has made an amendment to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which provides new refund requirements.

Prior to the recent change, the regulations required that refunds be provided only when the disruption was within an airline's control.

Now, the new requirement means that airlines will have to provide you with a refund or rebooking even when there's a flight cancellation or a delay that's the result of a situation outside the airline's control.

The amendment applies to all flights to, from, and within Canada, including connecting flights.

The updated regulation will come into effect post-summer travel season on September 8, 2022.

Even if your flight is cancelled or delayed outside an airline's control, they are required to give you a confirmed reservation on the next flight available.

This rebooked flight can be operated by them or a partner airline and must leave within 48 hours of your original departure time.

If the airline can’t provide a confirmed reservation within 48 hours, they'll be required to refund or rebook your flight, whichever one you choose. Also, your refund has to be provided within 30 days.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that sometimes travelling doesn't always go according to plan, and this new amendment acknowledges just that.

"These new regulations will protect travellers in these unexpected situations," Alghabra said in a statement.

The Minister also said the new regulations "apply to future flights that are cancelled for reasons outside an air carrier's control, including major weather events, a pandemic, as well as situations where it is not possible for the carrier to complete the passenger's itinerary within a reasonable timeframe."