Airport firefighters remove loose debris from the wreckage of an Air Canada Express jet, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, just off the runway where it had collided with a Port Authority fire truck Sunday night at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

By The Canadian Press

LaGuardia crash survivors could sue Air Canada for up to nearly $300K, advocate says

Mar 26, 2026 | 2:00 AM

MONTREAL — Aviation law experts say Air Canada passengers injured in the fatal collision at the LaGuardia Airport on Sunday have various legal options.

Gabor Lukacs, a passenger rights advocate, says Air Canada could be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars per passenger.

He says an international agreement that standardizes compensation holds airlines liable for death or bodily injury.

Lukacs says that under the 1999 Montreal Convention injured passengers could each be compensated up to nearly $300,000.

The Air Canada passengers have two years to file lawsuits under the convention.

Northlands College

Final decision coming for new 90-seat daycare centre

13h ago

Gordon Snelgrove Gallery

Métis Artist Creates Work to Shake Audiences

13h ago

RCMP Youth Leadership Workshop

Indigenous youth gather in Regina to develop community action plans with RCMP

13h ago

Kevin Durkin, a U.S. aviation lawyer, says they could also sue the American aviation authority and local port authority.

The collision between the Air Canada jet and a firetruck killed both pilots and sent more than 40 people to hospital.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press