WASHINGTON — New federal rules taking effect Oct. 19 will change how the Department of Transportation classifies 10 causes of flight delays and cancellations, potentially affecting some airline commitments to passengers during disruptions.
The DOT finalized the rule Sept. 3 under a provision of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The changes will remove 10 specific events from the category of disruptions considered within an airline’s control.
Under the current framework, issues such as maintenance, crew scheduling and aircraft cleaning can fall under the carrier-control category. Airlines often make customer-service commitments, such as providing meals, hotel accommodations or rebooking, when delays or cancellations result from circumstances within their control.
The new rule excludes the following events from that category:
- Aircraft cleaning required after a passenger’s death
- Aircraft damage caused by extreme weather, foreign object debris or sabotage
- Baggage or cargo loading delays caused by a bag-system outage outside the carrier’s or contractor’s control
- Cybersecurity attacks, when the airline complies with applicable cybersecurity regulations
- Unexpected shutdowns or failures of government systems that directly affect safe flight operations
- Overheated brakes resulting from a safety incident that requires emergency procedures
- Unscheduled maintenance, including maintenance required under an airworthiness directive, that cannot be deferred
- Medical emergencies that occur through no fault of the airline
- Removal of an unruly passenger
- Airport closures caused by volcanic ash, wind or wind shear
The DOT said the changes will create a separate reporting category for those events rather than treating them as carrier-controlled disruptions. The new classification will also affect federal reporting of delay and cancellation causes.
The rule could also affect services and amenities that airlines voluntarily promise for controllable delays and cancellations. The DOT maintains a dashboard showing each major airline’s commitments for such disruptions.
The change does not eliminate federal refund rights for passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed. Under current DOT rules, passengers can receive a refund if an airline cancels a flight or significantly delays or changes it and they choose not to travel or accept an alternative offered by the airline.
Passengers who accept a significantly delayed or changed flight generally cannot later claim a federal ticket refund under that provision.
The new rule takes effect Oct. 19, just before the holiday travel season.
Travelers can check airline commitments through the DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Protection resources and monitor flight delays through airline websites and other flight-tracking services.
