Passenger rights rule changes: a dated log
29 dated changes to air passenger rules are logged below, from 2023 to 23 October 2027. They cover UK261, EU261 with Ireland, Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), US Department of Transportation (DOT) rules and the Montreal Convention, one regime per row in the Regime column.
Ireland, 
Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), 
US Department of Transportation (DOT) rules and the Montreal Convention, one regime per row in the Regime column.Updated Sources checked 10 min read
On this page (7)
The latest EU entry: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, published in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026, in force from 22 October 2026, applies from 23 October 2027; until then the 2004 text applies.
EU entry: Each Status cell opens with the stage in bold, so a rule that changes a claim today stands apart from one that does not yet:
- In force: the rule applies to flights now.
- In force, not yet applicable: the law exists but decides no claim before its application date.
- Applies from: the fixed date a rule starts to decide claims.
- Adopted, not in force: enacted, but it changes nothing for your flight yet.
- Adopted, effective: adopted with a fixed date on which it starts.
Published, withdrawn, enforcement-policy and voluntary-pilot rows carry their own bold label.
Dataset
Date | Regime | Status | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
23 Oct 2027 | EU261 | Applies from 23 Oct 2027 | Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 applies from this fixed date (art. 3, second paragraph); until then the 2004 text of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies. | |
22 Oct 2026 | EU261 | In force, not yet applicable: applies from 23 Oct 2027 | Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 enters into force on the twentieth day after its publication in the Official Journal (art. 3, first paragraph). | |
19 Oct 2026 | US DOT | Adopted, effective 19 Oct 2026 | A cause-of-delay reporting rule adds a reporting category for 10 statutory events excluded from the "Air Carrier" cause code (91 FR 56588). | |
2 Oct 2026 | EU261 | Published (Official Journal) | Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, was published in the Official Journal; the European Parliament (7 Jul 2026) and the Council (13 Jul 2026) approved it at third reading, and it was signed on 16 Sep 2026. Show the full rule | EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202; EP Legislative Observatory, 2013/0072(COD) |
27 Aug 2026 | EU261 | Published (list) | The European Commission updated its list of national enforcement bodies, which covers the 27 Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. | |
26 May 2026 | US DOT | In force, compliance not yet required | A rule on a one-page document on passenger rights took effect (91 FR 21955); compliance is not required until DOT publishes a notice of OMB approval. | |
8 Apr 2026 | Canada APPR | Voluntary pilot, not law | Air Canada announced a voluntary, carrier-initiated pilot with Canada Aviation Dispute Resolution (CADR) for invited customers with outstanding CTA APPR claims; decisions bind Air Canada, not the customer unless accepted. Show the full rule | |
6 Apr 2026 | UK (ADR) | In force | ADR provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came into effect and replaced the ADR Regulations 2015; passengers can continue to use AviationADR and CEDR. | |
1 Apr 2026 | UK (Scotland) | In force | New Simple Procedure claim-form fees apply: £23 for sums of money of £300 or less and £127 for all other actions. | |
10 Dec 2025 | US DOT | Enforcement policy, in effect | The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection will not treat cancellations or lengthy delays from unscheduled maintenance required by a non-deferrable airworthiness directive as "within airline control" for dashboard commitments, until further notice or the end of the cause-of-delay rulemaking. Show the full rule | |
5 Dec 2025 | US DOT | Enforcement discretion, in effect until 7 Jul 2027 | DOT paused enforcement of the cancellation-refund requirements in 14 CFR 260.6, 260.9 and 399.80(l) where a flight is merely renumbered, the passenger is rebooked on it and there is no "significant change or delay" (FR 2025-22140); 91 FR 41556 extended the pause to 7 Jul 2027. Show the full rule | |
17 Nov 2025 | US DOT | Withdrawn | DOT withdrew its 11 Dec 2024 advance notice of proposed rulemaking on airline passenger rights, which covered cash compensation, rebooking and amenities (90 FR 51230). | |
11 Sep 2025 | US DOT | Published (airline commitments) | The Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard page was last updated; it lists "No" for cash compensation at all 9 airlines in its table, as airline commitments rather than federal rights. | |
20 Mar 2025 | US DOT | In force | DOT delayed enforcement of the raised denied boarding compensation and domestic baggage liability limits from 22 Jan 2025 until 20 Mar 2025 (90 FR 9952). | |
28 Feb 2025 | UK (Scotland) | In force | The Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 inserted paragraph 1(h) into Schedule 1 of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, adding obligations to pay money arising under an enactment to those extinguished after 5 years without a relevant claim or acknowledgment. Show the full rule | |
22 Jan 2025 | US DOT | In force | Denied boarding compensation caps rose from $775 and $1,550 to $1,075 and $2,150 (89 FR 84815). | |
22 Jan 2025 | US DOT | In force | The domestic baggage liability minimum rose from $3,800 to $4,700 per passenger on aircraft of more than 60 seats (89 FR 84815). | |
28 Dec 2024 | Montreal Convention | In force | Revised limits took effect: baggage 1,519 SDR (was 1,288), delay of persons 6,303 SDR (was 5,346), and the death or bodily injury strict-liability tier 151,880 SDR (was 128,821). | |
28 Oct 2024 | US DOT | In force | Compliance became required for the fare, bag-fee and ancillary-fee refund provisions of DOT’s 2024 refund rule. | |
25 Sep 2024 | EU261 | Published (guidance) | The European Commission published Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687, which state that the Regulation applies to Iceland and Norway under the EEA Agreement and to Switzerland under the 1999 Air Transport Agreement. Show the full rule | |
25 Jun 2024 | US DOT | In force | DOT’s final rule on refunds and other consumer protections (89 FR 32760, published 26 Apr 2024) took effect. | |
16 May 2024 | US DOT | In force | The self-effectuating refund provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 took effect. | |
14 Dec 2023 | UK261 | In force | SI 2023/1370 inserted article 6(3)-(4): a delay of 3 hours or more in reaching the final destination gives article 7 compensation unless caused by extraordinary circumstances that all reasonable measures could not have avoided; it also added "delay" to the distance rule in article 7(1). Show the full rule | |
14 Dec 2023 | UK261 | In force | SI 2023/1370 added a statutory definition of extraordinary circumstances in article 2(o), which includes air traffic management decisions that could not have been avoided with all reasonable measures. | |
14 Dec 2023 | UK261 | In force | SI 2023/1370 inserted article 3(1A): a multi-leg flight booked as a single unit is treated as a whole and as departing from the first leg’s point of departure. | |
14 Dec 2023 | UK261 | In force | SI 2023/1370 inserted article 3(9): for limitation purposes a UK261 claim is determined in accordance with section 9 of the Limitation Act 1980. | |
1 May 2023 | EU261 (Ireland) | In force | The Commission for Aviation Regulation was dissolved and its functions, including EU261 enforcement, transferred to the Irish Aviation Authority (S.I. No. 219/2023; Air Navigation and Transport Act 2022 s.109). Show the full rule | |
2023 (statute year only) | Canada APPR | In force | S.C. 2023, c. 26, s. 459 is the source of Canada Transportation Act s.85.07(2): in a CTA complaint, a disruption is presumed within the carrier’s control and not required for safety unless the carrier proves otherwise. Show the full rule | |
2023 (statute year only) | Canada APPR | Adopted, not in force | S.C. 2023, c. 26 (Bill C-47), ss. 460-464 and 465(1), (2) and (4), would replace the three disruption categories with exceptions-based compensation; the APPR remain last amended on 8 Sep 2022. |
European Commission updated its list of national enforcement bodies, which covers the 27 Member States, 
Iceland, 
Norway and 
Switzerland.
Air Canada announced a voluntary, carrier-initiated pilot with 
CTA APPR claims; decisions bind Air Canada, not the customer unless accepted.
UK (ADR)
AviationADR and 
CEDR.
CAA, Alternative dispute resolution
Irish Aviation Authority (S.I. No. 219/2023; Air Navigation and Transport Act 2022 s.109).Source: the primary source linked in each row; every row checked 2026-09-15, except the three Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 rows, checked 2026-10-20.
3 rows date the EU261 revision, which decides no claim before 23 October 2027. 1 row, Canada’s 2023 change to the disruption categories, is adopted but not in force, and 1 US rule has a fixed effective date of 19 October 2026. 2 Canadian rows carry only the year of their statute, S.C. 2023, c. 26. Download the 29 rows as CSV, with the stage in its own column; the data hub lists the other datasets.
To check whether a dated change affects a claim you make now:
- Find your flight’s regime in the Regime column; which law covers my flight settles a mixed itinerary.
- Read the bold stage first. In force rows change the rules for a claim now; rows marked not yet applicable, Applies from or Adopted, not in force change nothing yet.
- For EU261, use the 2004 text: it decides every claim until 23 October 2027, when Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 starts to apply.
- Open the source linked in the row and quote that text, with its date, in your claim or complaint.
#What changed in UK261 since 2023?
14 December 2023 is the date SI 2023/1370 took effect and wrote 4 changes into UK261: compensation for arriving 3 hours or more late (article 6(3)), a statutory definition of extraordinary circumstances (article 2(o)), a single-booking connection rule (article 3(1A)) and a limitation rule (article 3(9)).
Source: SI 2023/1370; UK261 arts. 2(o), 3(1A), 3(9), 6(3)-(4) — legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
None of the 4 changes touched the £220, £350 and £520 bands, and article 7(2), the carrier’s 50% option, stays unamended. legislation.gov.uk records no UK261 amendment from 2024 through 2026.
The 2026 ADR switch sits outside the Regulation. On 6 April 2026 the ADR provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 replaced the ADR Regulations 2015, and the CAA says you can continue to use AviationADR and CEDR.
Scotland changed twice. Since 28 February 2025, the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 extinguishes obligations to pay money arising under an enactment after 5 years without a relevant claim or acknowledgment. No Scottish court has yet decided whether that rule or article 3(9) governs a UK261 claim. Since 1 April 2026, a Simple Procedure claim form for £300 or less costs £23 (SCTS fees).
Scotland changed twice. Since 28 February 2025, the If you live in Scotland, raise a UK261 claim within 5 years of the flight; the full rules are on the UK261 page.
#What is the status of the EU261 revision?
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, published in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026, in force from 22 October 2026, applies from 23 October 2027; until then the 2004 text applies. The log gives each of those 3 dates its own row; the EU261 reform page sets out what changes.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, art. 3 (OJ L, 2.10.2026) — eur-lex.europa.eu; European Parliament Legislative Observatory, procedure 2013/0072(COD) — oeil.europarl.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-20.
Parliament approved the text at third reading on 7 July 2026 and the Council on 13 July 2026. The act was signed on 16 September 2026, and the Legislative Observatory now records the procedure as completed. Entry into force changes no claim: EU261 still means the 2004 text until 23 October 2027. UK261 is not amended by it either, because an EU regulation signed in 2026 does not change UK law.
Ireland changed its enforcement body. The Commission for Aviation Regulation was dissolved on 1 May 2023, and its functions, EU261 enforcement included, passed to the Irish Aviation Authority.
Commission Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687 of 25 September 2024 state that the Regulation applies to Iceland and Norway under the EEA Agreement and to Switzerland under the 1999 Air Transport Agreement. The Commission’s list of national enforcement bodies was last updated on 27 August 2026.
Send an EU261 complaint to the listed body for the country your flight left from, or, for a flight into the EU from outside, the country it landed in.
#What changed in US DOT passenger rules?
25 June 2024 is the effective date of DOT’s final rule on refunds and other consumer protections (89 FR 32760), with compliance for fare, bag-fee and ancillary-fee refunds from 28 October 2024. The self-effectuating refund provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 took effect earlier, on 16 May 2024.
Source: Federal Register 2024-07177 and 2024-17602 — federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
Under 14 CFR Part 260, a cancellation or a significant delay or change gives you a refund unless you accept the alternative. If you do not respond and do not fly, the refund is still due. The refund is due within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods (14 CFR 260.2).
From 22 January 2025 the denied boarding compensation caps are $1,075 and $2,150, up from $775 and $1,550 (89 FR 84815), and enforcement was delayed until 20 March 2025. The same rule raised the domestic baggage liability minimum from $3,800 to $4,700 per passenger on aircraft of more than 60 seats (14 CFR 254.4).
Federal cash for delays did not follow. On 17 November 2025 DOT withdrew its 11 December 2024 advance notice of proposed rulemaking on cash compensation, rebooking and amenities. Its Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard lists “No” for cash compensation at all 9 airlines in its table (page last updated 11 September 2025). These are airline commitments, not federal rights.
From 5 December 2025 DOT does not enforce cancellation-refund requirements where a flight is merely renumbered, you are rebooked on it and there is no “significant change or delay”. That discretion now runs to 7 July 2027 (91 FR 41556).
Ask for a refund in writing and say that you do not accept a voucher or credit; the US DOT page has the full rules.
#What changed, and what did not, in Canada’s APPR?
8 September 2022 is the last amendment date on the Air Passenger Protection Regulations consolidation current to 21 July 2026. Provisions enacted in 2023 (S.C. 2023, c. 26, ss. 460-464 and 465(1), (2) and (4)) that would replace the three disruption categories with exceptions-based compensation are listed as amendments not in force.
Source: Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150); Canada Transportation Act, amendments not in force — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
The three categories still decide your APPR claim. Only a disruption within the carrier’s control and not required for safety can bring delay or cancellation compensation. One 2023 change is in force: section 85.07(2) of the Canada Transportation Act presumes, in a CTA complaint, that a disruption was within the carrier’s control and not required for safety unless the carrier proves otherwise.
On 8 April 2026 Air Canada announced a pilot with Canada Aviation Dispute Resolution (CADR), an independent ADR firm. It is a voluntary, carrier-initiated pilot run by Air Canada with CTA consent to file transfers. Only 500 randomly selected customers with outstanding CTA APPR claims were invited.
CADR decides within 90 days of a complete file (CADR service rules). The decision binds Air Canada, and binds you only if you accept it.
A Transport Canada release of 1 May 2026, citing a complaint backlog of “more than 97,000”, set out a plan, not law.
Send your compensation request to the carrier before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation; the Canada APPR page explains the categories.
#What changed in the Montreal Convention limits?
28 December 2024 is when revised Montreal Convention limits took effect (ICAO): 1,519 SDR per passenger for baggage, up from 1,288 SDR, and 6,303 SDR for delay of persons, up from 5,346 SDR. The strict-liability tier for death or bodily injury rose from 128,821 SDR to 151,880 SDR per passenger.
Source: ICAO, 2024 revised limits of liability under the Montreal Convention of 1999; Montreal Convention arts. 21, 22 — icao.int, checked 2026-09-15.
The figures come from the fourth five-year review under article 24. The 1999 text started at 1,000 SDR for baggage and 4,150 SDR for delay. A conversion into pounds, euros or dollars is not a legal amount.
The baggage and delay limits cap damage you prove. Under article 19 a carrier is not liable for delay damage if it proves it took all measures reasonably required, or that taking them was impossible.
Complain in writing within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag, or within 21 days of getting a delayed bag back, and sue within 2 years; the Montreal Convention page covers the claim.
This log is general information, not legal advice; for your case, ask the regulator for your flight or a solicitor.
#Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK law, as amended by SI 2023/1370 — legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
- Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, Schedule 1 — legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
- Civil Aviation Authority, Alternative dispute resolution — caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Sheriff Court fees — scotcourts.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
- Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of 16 September 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, OJ L, 2.10.2026, art. 3 — eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-20.
- European Parliament Legislative Observatory, procedure 2013/0072(COD) — oeil.europarl.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-20.
- European Commission, Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687 — eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
- European Commission, National Enforcement Bodies, updated 27 August 2026 — transport.ec.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
- S.I. No. 219/2023 and Air Navigation and Transport Act 2022 — irishstatutebook.ie, checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register documents 2024-07177, 2024-17602, 2024-23588, 2025-02814, 2025-20042, 2025-22415, 2026-08103, 2026-13675 and 2026-18040 — federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
- 14 CFR Parts 254 and 260 — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
- US Department of Transportation, Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard — transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150) and Canada Transportation Act — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
- Air Canada, third-party dispute resolution pilot; Canada Aviation Dispute Resolution service rules — aircanada.com, cadr.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
- Transport Canada, news release of 1 May 2026 — canada.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
- ICAO, 2024 revised limits of liability, and the Montreal Convention 1999 — icao.int, eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.