The International Civil Aviation Organization has officially implemented higher compensation limits for international flights, effective December 28, 2024.
The new limits cover a range of passenger issues, including death, injury, delays, and baggage or cargo problems.
The updated compensation includes an increase to $202,500 for death or injury, up from 128,821 Special Drawing Rights, which is roughly $170,000. Passenger delays will now be compensated up to $8,400, an increase from $6,900. In addition, compensation for baggage delays or loss rises to approximately $2,000, and cargo loss or damage is now capped at about $35 per kilogram.
This change follows ICAO’s announcement in October, which noted that the liability limits would be adjusted in line with the Montreal Convention’s built-in review mechanism.
The mechanism ensures that the limits are updated every five years to account for inflation and the evolving needs of the aviation industry, ensuring fair compensation for passengers and cargo shippers.
ICAO’s statement in October read, “Travelers will soon benefit from higher compensation limits for international flights, with the International Civil Aviation Organization announcing that the Montreal Convention liability limits for death, injury, delays, baggage, and cargo issues will increase on 28 December 2024.”
On Saturday, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, shared the news of the increase on his X account. He posted a photo of a news publication announcing the new limits and wrote, “Important update: International passengers will now get more benefits as liability limits increase becomes effective.”
The International Civil Aviation Organization has revised compensation limits for international flights, effective December 28, 2024. Compensation for death or injury has increased from 128,821 to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights, approximately $202,500. Passenger transport delays now have a limit of 6,303 SDRs (around $8,400), up from 5,346 SDRs.
Baggage loss or delay compensation rises to 1,519 SDRs (roughly $2,000), and cargo loss or damage compensation increases to 26 SDRs per kilogram (about $35). These changes reflect ICAO’s efforts to adjust compensation for inflation and improve fairness and adequacy in the aviation industry.
This marks the fourth adjustment of compensation limits since the Montreal Convention was implemented in 2003. The convention provides a unified framework for the international carriage of passengers, baggage, and cargo by air.
The updated compensation limits reflect an ongoing effort to ensure that compensation remains adequate and aligned with the realities of modern air travel. ICAO has notified the 140 State Parties to the Montreal Convention that the revised limits are now in effect and has urged them to adjust their domestic legal frameworks to accommodate the changes.
