Realigned passenger rights regulation sought

  At the meeting in Cape Town, the IATA reached the resolution which addresses a proliferation of uncoordinated and extra-territorial passenger rights legislation and regulation that is the cause of confusion among passengers. Some 50 countries have passenger rights requirements affecting air transport and several more are considering imposing them.

  “Airlines are aligned with governments in wanting to get their passengers to their destinations on time. But sometimes that is just not possible. Governments should set some simple guarantees on what passengers should expect in such situations. But un-harmonised and extra-territorial regulations can cause utter confusion for international travelers. Being stuck in Europe on a disrupted trip from the United States to Israel is bad enough for a passenger. Regulation shouldn’t worsen the situation by presenting them with a bewildering array of three conflicting passenger rights regimes,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

  IATA represents some 240 airlines comprising 84 per cent of global air traffic.

Tyler added that the regulations are causing problems to travellers who are the airlines' customers.

"These core principles on consumer protection will help governments harmonise their various regimes. And they will be the centerpiece of an industry–wide campaign to help regulators recalibrate their impression of what the air travel experience is, and how it could be even better,” said Tyler.