Passenger Rights

Airlines are committed to looking after their passengers and are highly incentivized to do so. The recent proliferation of overlapping passenger rights regimes around the world creates difficulties for the industry and confusion for passengers. The industry seeks a balance between ensuring the adequate protection of passengers and burdening air transport, and by extension consumers and businesses, with cost and complexity.

Industry Core Principles on Consumer Protection

There are now over 50 countries that have implemented a passenger rights regime of some kind. The spread of overlapping passenger rights legislation creates uncertainty over which regime applies in specific situations, leading to difficulties for airlines and confusion among passengers. Some passenger rights regulations also have unintended consequences, increasing costs and reducing connectivity.

At the 69th IATA AGM in June 2013, the industry unanimously adopted a set of core principles for consumer protection legislation. These principles are based on an analysis of lessons learned from existing passenger regimes. Striking a balance between sustainable air transport and reasonable consumer protection, they aim to help governments harmonize their various regimes, and serve as the foundation for proactively shaping the debate at global, regional and national levels.

AGM Resolution and Core Principles (pdf)

Position Papers

Passenger Rights (pdf)

Sequential Coupon Use (pdf)

Ticket transferability (pdf)

Supporting Economic Analysis

Briefings and outside views on competition

Briefings and outside views on airline costs

Economic benefits of aviation