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Consumer protection for air passengers will be revised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 193 United Nations member states will be able to consider changes to air passenger rights during the Seventh Worldwide Air Transport Conference, to be held in Montreal from November 16 to November 20, 2026. The assembly will consider amendments to standards and recommended practices for protection of air consumers and plans for emergency responses. Protection of air passengers is desperately needed given the large number of passengers transported annually by international airlines. In 2025, International air carriers transported approximately 4,900,000,000 (four billion, nine hundred million) passengers and the industry is continuously expanding. (ICAO)
Why ICAO is revisiting global passenger protection now
The upcoming review is significant, but travellers should understand exactly what is happening. ICAO has not announced a single new worldwide compensation regime, nor have 193 countries suddenly adopted identical passenger-rights laws.
Instead, the organisation is reviewing the global principles that help governments shape their national and regional consumer-protection systems. The process will move into a crucial phase at ATConf/7, which takes place at ICAO headquarters in Montréal from 16 to 20 November. (ICAO)
ICAO’s official programme confirms that the conference will address resilience, emergency-response gaps and consumer protection. A dedicated working paper is titled “Strengthening Consumer Protection and Emergency Planning.” (ICAO)
The organisation’s 42nd Assembly had already initiated a review of its Core Principles on Consumer Protection. ICAO said the aim is to ensure consistency while continuing to respect different national approaches. (ICAO)
That distinction is essential. ICAO’s consumer principles are high-level and non-binding, rather than a worldwide law comparable to a national passenger-rights statute. (WASA)
Passenger rights have been on ICAO’s agenda for decades
The current process has a long history.
At the Fifth Worldwide Air Transport Conference in Montréal in 2003, states recognised the problems created when national passenger-protection regulations differ significantly. ICAO says governments were encouraged to minimise those differences to reduce legal uncertainty caused by national rules extending beyond their own jurisdictions. (ICAO)
The issue became more pressing as governments introduced their own rules governing cancellations, delays, denied boarding and airline responsibilities.
At the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference in 2013, ICAO acknowledged that more states were adopting passenger-rights regulations. The organisation concluded that greater coordination was necessary. (ICAO)
That work eventually produced ICAO’s Core Principles on Consumer Protection, adopted in June 2015. They were designed to guide governments and aviation stakeholders before, during and after a passenger’s journey. (WASA)
More than a decade later, those principles are now being formally reviewed.
What ICAO’s existing consumer principles actually cover
ICAO’s approach extends beyond financial compensation.
Its consumer-protection work covers areas such as conditions of carriage, fares, baggage, tariff disclosure, denied boarding and code-sharing. The organisation also maintains a database showing different passenger-rights rules used by its Member States. (ICAO)
The existing framework divides consumer protection into three stages:
- Before travel: passengers should receive transparent information about fares, products and contractual conditions.
- During travel: travellers should receive timely information and appropriate assistance when disruptions occur.
- After travel: complaint handling and dispute-resolution processes should be available where applicable.
ICAO describes the principles as a “living document”, meaning they can be refined as markets, technologies and passenger expectations change. (ICAO)
That is particularly relevant in 2026 because passengers increasingly book international itineraries involving multiple carriers, airports, online intermediaries and jurisdictions.
What governments will examine in Montréal
ATConf/7 is broader than passenger rights alone.
Its official theme is “Air Transport: Powering Global Connectivity, Economic Development and Resilience in a Dynamic World.” Senior government officials and international and regional organisations will discuss the economic and regulatory future of aviation. (ICAO)
Consumer protection sits within that larger debate.
| Key ATConf/7 area | Relevance to travellers |
|---|---|
| Consumer protection | How passenger interests are reflected in national regulatory frameworks |
| Emergency planning | How aviation systems prepare for and respond to major disruptions |
| Economic regulation | Rules shaping international air transport markets |
| Connectivity | Maintaining access to international air services |
| Infrastructure finance | Supporting airports and aviation capacity |
| Resilience | Improving the sector’s ability to withstand disruption |
| Emerging technology | Updating regulation as aviation systems change |
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization ATConf/7 programme and working papers. (ICAO)
The European Union is already preparing for the negotiations. The Council of the EU’s Working Party on Aviation listed a working paper specifically concerning the review of ICAO’s Core Principles on Consumer Protection in September. (Consilium)
This confirms that passenger protection is not simply a peripheral conference discussion. Governments are preparing formal positions ahead of Montréal.
Global aviation is carrying more passengers than ever
The scale of today’s aviation market makes the review especially important.
ICAO reported in July that scheduled commercial airlines carried nearly five billion passengers on 38 million flights during 2025. Passenger volumes and flight numbers both exceeded their 2024 levels. (ICAO)
Long-term growth could be much larger.
ICAO’s 2026–2050 Strategic Plan projects global passenger numbers rising from 4.6 billion in 2024 to 12.4 billion annually by 2050. That would make consistent and understandable consumer protections increasingly important as international travel expands. (ICAO)
| Global aviation indicator | ICAO figure |
|---|---|
| Scheduled commercial passengers in 2025 | Nearly 5 billion |
| Scheduled commercial flights in 2025 | 38 million |
| 2024 passenger baseline used in long-term plan | 4.6 billion |
| Projected annual passengers by 2050 | 12.4 billion |
| ICAO Member States | 193 |
These figures also explain why consumer protection carries economic significance beyond individual compensation claims.
ICAO describes international civil aviation as a catalyst for economic growth, market connectivity and global prosperity. Aviation also supports tourism, local businesses, foreign investment and international trade. (ICAO)
The Montreal Convention remains another critical layer
Travellers should not confuse ICAO’s Core Principles with the Montreal Convention 1999.
The Montreal Convention is an international treaty governing carrier liability in international air transport. It establishes rules covering passenger death or injury, baggage, cargo and damage caused by delay. (ICAO)
ICAO’s current treaty-status document lists 141 parties to the Montreal Convention. With ICAO comprising 193 Member States, the treaty is therefore not universal. (ICAO)
The convention also contains a mechanism allowing its liability limits to be reviewed for inflation.
ICAO carried out the latest review in 2024, with higher limits taking effect on 28 December 2024. The organisation said the adjustment covered international-flight liability involving death, injury, delay, baggage and cargo. (ICAO)
That treaty will remain relevant regardless of how the Core Principles evolve.
Why different national rules remain difficult for international travellers
A passenger travelling internationally can encounter several layers of protection.
There may be national legislation in the departure country, rules in the destination, regional legislation, an airline’s conditions of carriage and international treaty provisions. Which rules apply can depend on the itinerary and circumstances.
ICAO recognised this problem as far back as 2003.
Its consumer-protection work explicitly notes the risk of legal uncertainty when national rules differ or have extraterritorial effects. That concern helped drive the organisation towards coordinated principles. (ICAO)
The forthcoming review therefore concerns consistency as much as additional protection.
ICAO’s Assembly mandate specifically refers to ensuring consistency while respecting national approaches. That means the process should not be interpreted as an attempt to replace every national passenger-rights regime with one global law. (ICAO)
What global air passenger rights reform could mean for airlines
For airlines, greater regulatory alignment could address a longstanding operational challenge: complying with different consumer regimes across international networks.
A carrier may operate hundreds of routes crossing numerous legal jurisdictions. Passenger-assistance requirements, information obligations and regulatory processes can vary between markets.
ICAO’s historical approach has therefore sought compatibility while preserving governments’ ability to make their own policy choices. (ICAO)
The November conference will provide governments with an opportunity to decide how those principles should evolve.
Airlines should not, however, assume that ATConf/7 automatically produces new legally enforceable passenger entitlements. Any eventual impact will depend on conference outcomes and how states subsequently incorporate ICAO guidance into their own regulatory frameworks.
Airports also have a stake in the review
Consumer protection increasingly extends beyond the relationship between passenger and airline.
Major disruptions can involve airports, ground handlers, border processes, baggage systems and other service providers. ICAO’s decision to pair consumer protection with emergency planning therefore matters.
The official ATConf/7 agenda identifies industry resilience, emergency-response gaps and consumer protection among the areas governments will examine. (ICAO)
For airports, clearer coordination during disruption can affect passenger information, terminal operations and recovery planning.
The issue becomes more significant as global passenger numbers rise towards ICAO’s long-term projections.
Why tourism businesses should watch Montréal
The debate also matters to hotels, tour operators and destination economies.
Aviation is the gateway for a large share of international tourism. Severe flight disruption can therefore affect accommodation bookings, transfers, cruises, tours and visitor spending well beyond the airport.
ICAO explicitly identifies air transport as supporting tourism and local businesses while stimulating investment and international trade. (ICAO)
Clearer consumer-protection practices can also help travellers understand where airline responsibilities end and where travel insurance, package-tour rules or other contractual protections may become relevant.
For tour operators, the key issue is clarity. Travellers increasingly expect rapid information about cancellations, delays and alternative arrangements, particularly when a journey involves several suppliers.
Consumer protection is becoming part of aviation resilience
One of the most notable features of the 2026 process is the connection between passenger protection and resilience.
ICAO’s conference objectives include addressing workforce pressures, supply-chain issues, market access, emergency response and consumer protection. (ICAO)
That reflects how modern aviation disruption can spread rapidly across borders.
A major weather event, infrastructure problem or operational failure can affect multiple airports and airlines within hours. Passengers may then need information, rerouting, refunds or other assistance under different regulatory systems.
ICAO’s approach places passenger treatment inside the wider question of how aviation systems prepare for and recover from disruption.
What passengers should expect — and what they should not
Travellers should not change bookings or travel plans because of the ICAO review.
No universal new compensation rule takes effect in November simply because ATConf/7 is meeting.
Existing national, regional and treaty-based passenger protections continue to apply according to their respective rules.
Passengers should therefore continue checking the rights applicable to their specific itinerary. ICAO itself maintains a consumer-protection database designed to help travellers identify aviation-specific rules in different countries. (ICAO)
The November meeting is important because it could influence the direction governments take afterwards, not because it immediately replaces today’s laws.
Economic importance grows with global aviation
Consumer confidence has economic consequences.
International aviation connects travellers with destinations, businesses and communities. ICAO says the sector contributes to economic development through connectivity while supporting tourism, employment, trade and investment. (ICAO)
Demand is also expected to keep increasing.
ICAO projects 12.4 billion annual passengers by 2050, about 2.7 times its 2024 baseline. Its strategy says infrastructure, regulatory systems and international cooperation will need to evolve alongside that expansion. (ICAO)
Consumer protection is therefore one element of a much larger aviation policy challenge.
Governments need frameworks that can function across an increasingly connected market without creating unnecessary regulatory conflict.
What happens next
The next major milestone is 16 November 2026, when ATConf/7 opens at ICAO headquarters in Montréal.
The conference runs until 20 November and brings together senior officials from Member States alongside invited international and regional organisations. (ICAO)
ICAO’s published working-paper list confirms that strengthening consumer protection and emergency planning will form part of the formal proceedings. (ICAO)
The review also sits within ICAO’s wider 2026–2050 Strategic Plan, which addresses the enormous growth expected across international aviation.
Any concrete regulatory consequences will depend on the conference’s decisions and subsequent action by ICAO bodies and individual governments. Until those outcomes are published, claims about specific future compensation amounts or universal new passenger entitlements would be premature.
FAQs for Travellers
Will new global passenger compensation rules start in November 2026?
No universal compensation regime has been announced. ATConf/7 will review consumer protection and related aviation policies, but ICAO’s existing Core Principles are high-level guidance. Travellers should continue relying on the laws and treaty provisions applicable to their specific journey. (ICAO)
What rights do international passengers already have?
Rights depend on the itinerary and jurisdiction. The Montreal Convention 1999 establishes carrier-liability rules covering matters including passenger injury, baggage and damage caused by delay for journeys within its scope, while countries and regions may provide additional protections. (ICAO)
Where can travellers check the passenger rights applying to their flight?
ICAO maintains an official database summarising aviation-specific consumer-protection regulations adopted by Member States. Passengers should also check the relevant national aviation regulator and their airline’s conditions of carriage before making a claim. (ICAO)
Conclusion
The expansion of international air travel means there is a growing need to protect air travelers. Between 2025 and 2050, international air travel is expected to nearly triple. During the United Nations aviation conference in Montreal, the 194 participating countries will review ICAO’s 2015 rules to enable international air travel. Unlike 2015, in 2022 most countries are able to change their laws to protect air travelers. One of the positive changes introduced by ICAO in 2015 was requiring countries to set up national compensation and medical assistance schemes to provide immediate support to air travelers who suffer injuries during air travel. The Montreal conference provides an opportunity for countries to create frameworks to ensure that protection is provided to injured air travelers and to establish mechanisms to compensate them for their injuries. (ICAO)
