Rule2026-08103
One-Page Document on Passenger Rights
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 24, 2026
Effective
May 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
This final rule implements Section 429 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 by requiring covered air carriers to submit to the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) a one-page document summarizing passenger rights regarding delays, diversions, cancellations, baggage, and boarding. To ensure transparency, carriers must post this summary in a prominent location on their websites within 90 days of submitting the plan to the Department. The obligation of carriers to submit and post the summary is contingent upon the Department's completion of the Paperwork Reduction Act process.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 79 (Friday, April 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 79 (Friday, April 24, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21955-21957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08103]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
14 CFR Part 259
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2026-1651]
RIN 2105-AE82
One-Page Document on Passenger Rights
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of the General Counsel, Office
of Aviation Consumer Protection, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This final rule implements Section 429 of the FAA
Reauthorization Act of 2018 by requiring covered air carriers to submit
to the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) a one-page
document summarizing passenger rights regarding delays, diversions,
cancellations, baggage, and boarding. To ensure transparency, carriers
must post this summary in a prominent location on their websites within
90 days of submitting the plan to the Department. The obligation of
carriers to submit and post the summary is contingent upon the
Department's completion of the Paperwork Reduction Act process.
DATES: This rule is effective May 26, 2026. However, compliance with
the information collection requirements (i.e., submitting and posting
the summary) is not required until the Department publishes a
subsequent notice in the Federal Register announcing Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection
established in this final rule.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Smith, Attorney-Advisor,
Heather Filemyr, Attorney-Advisor, or Blane A. Workie, Assistant
General Counsel, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590, 202-366-9342, 202-366-7152 (fax), <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e886818b87848dc69b85819c80a88c879cc68f879e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="67090e04080b0249140a0e130f2703081349000811">[email protected]</span></a>,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#78101d190c101d0a561e11141d15010a381c170c561f170e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fb939e9a8f939e89d59d92979e968289bb9f948fd59c948d">[email protected]</span></a>, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#94f6f8f5faf1bae3fbe6fffdf1d4f0fbe0baf3fbe2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="51333d303f347f263e233a383411353e257f363e27">[email protected]</span></a> (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Legal Authority
On October 5, 2018, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (2018 FAA
Act) was signed into law.\1\ Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act provides
that the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary) shall require
covered air carriers to submit a summarized one-page document that
describes the rights of passengers in air transportation (Passenger
Rights Summary).\2\ The Passenger Rights Summary must include
``guidelines'' for the following:
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\1\ Public Law 115-254.
\2\ Initially, Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act was codified in
the notes preceding 49 U.S.C. 42301. On May 16, 2024, the FAA
Reauthorization Act of 2024 (2024 FAA Act) was signed into law.
Public Law 118-64. Section 510 of the 2024 FAA Act recodified the
provision requiring the Passenger Rights Summary from the notes
preceding 49 U.S.C. 42301 to 49 U.S.C. 41727.
(1) Compensation (regarding rebooking options, refunds, meals,
and lodging) for flight delays of various lengths. (2) Compensation
(regarding rebooking options, refunds, meals, and lodging) for
flight diversions. (3) Compensation (regarding rebooking options,
refunds, meals, and lodging) for flight cancellations. (4)
Compensation for mishandled baggage, including delayed, damaged,
pilfered, or lost baggage. (5) Voluntary relinquishment of a
ticketed seat due to overbooking or priority of other passengers.
(6) Involuntary denial of boarding and forced removal for whatever
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reason, including for safety and security reasons.
Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act also requires that each covered air
carrier make its Passenger Rights Summary available in a prominent
location on its website within 90 days of submitting the plan to the
Department. Section 401 of the 2018 FAA Act defines the term ``covered
air carrier'' for its purposes as an air carrier or foreign air carrier
as those terms are defined by 49 U.S.C. 40102.\3\ To implement this
statutory requirement, this final rule creates a new section at 14 CFR
259.9 requiring covered air carriers to submit the Passenger Rights
Summary as dictated by 49 U.S.C. 41727.
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\3\ ``Air carrier'' is defined as ``a citizen of the United
States undertaking by any means, directly or indirectly, to provide
air transportation.'' 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(2). ``Foreign air carrier''
is defined as ``a person, not a citizen of the United States,
undertaking by any means, directly or indirectly, to provide foreign
air transportation.'' 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(21).
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In implementing this requirement, covered air carriers should
consider creating a ``one-page'' summary with a concise, user-friendly
document designed for quick consumer reference. A Passenger Rights
Summary that fulfills this expectation is typically a single-page
document--or a digital equivalent such as a one-page PDF--
[[Page 21956]]
presented in a clear and legible font. Covered air carriers should also
consider making the summary available in a location that is highly
visible and easily accessible to the public when complying with the
requirement to post the summary in a ``prominent location.''
Good Cause for Issuing Rule Without Prior Notice and Comment
Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553)
provides that when an agency, for good cause, finds that notice and
public procedure are impractical, unnecessary, or contrary to the
public interest, the agency may issue a final rule without providing
notice and an opportunity for public comment (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B)). The
Department has determined that there is good cause to issue this final
rule without notice and an opportunity for public comment because such
notice and comment would be unnecessary.
This rule implements Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act by
incorporating the statutory language nearly verbatim. Because the
Department has no discretion regarding the submission and posting of
the summary, the categories of information required to be disclosed, or
the entities covered, public comment would not alter the fundamental
requirements of the rule.
To the extent the Department provides recommendations regarding the
format of the one-page summary and prominent nature of its posting,
these descriptions do not constitute new regulatory requirements.
Rather, these statements are guidance to aid covered air carriers in
complying with the plain meaning of the statutory text to provide a
concise and accessible summary to the public. As this rule simply
codifies a clear congressional directive into the Code of Federal
Regulations, notice and comment are unnecessary.
I. Regulatory Notices
A. Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) and the
Department's Regulatory Procedures
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not designated this
rule a significant regulatory action under section 3(f) of Executive
Order 12866. Accordingly, OMB has not reviewed it. In addition, this
rule is not significant under the Department's Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (49 CFR part 5 and DOT Order 2100.6B). This rule implements
the statutory requirement that covered air carriers submit a Passenger
Rights Summary to the Department and post it on their respective
websites. The economic analysis of this final rule is discussed in this
section.
The Department anticipates that the economic impact of this rule
will be minimal, as the costs and benefits are dictated entirely by the
statutory requirements set forth in Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act.
Because the Department is implementing the law exactly as written and
providing only ministerial clarifications to facilitate compliance with
the statutory text, the primary impact on covered air carriers is the
administrative task of summarizing and distributing information. For
those carriers that are required to submit customer service plans under
14 CFR 259.5, much of the information required for this one-page
summary is already captured in the carriers' existing plans. Because
those airlines are already required to maintain these policies, they do
not need to develop new procedures or compensation structures to comply
with this rule. The Department offers format examples for illustrative
purposes only. Covered carriers retain discretion to determine the
specific layout of the one-page summary and the method of prominent
posting consistent with the statute. The Department expects that many
carriers subject to this statutory requirement who are not required to
submit customer service plans likely already have internal guidelines
for compensation, overbooking, and denied boarding as part of their
business operations.
The scope of work for carriers is limited to pulling that existing
data into a concise, one-page format and submitting it to the
Department as required by Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Act. Following
this submission, carriers must ensure the document is posted in a
prominent location on their websites within 90 days. This submission
and publication process is a direct result of the statutory mandate and
provides the Department with an opportunity to verify that the
summaries align with the requirements for transparency regarding
passenger rights. Ultimately, this rule creates little to no additional
burden beyond reformatting and uploading existing policy information.
B. Executive Order 14192 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation)
This rule is not an Executive Order 14192 regulatory action because
this rule is not significant under Executive Order 12866.
C. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)
This final rule has been analyzed in accordance with the principles
and criteria contained in Executive Order 13132 (Federalism). This
final rule does not impose any requirement that: (1) has substantial
direct effects on the States, the relationship between the national
government and the States, or the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various levels of government, (2) imposes
substantial direct compliance costs on State and local governments, or
(3) preempts State law. States are already preempted from regulating in
this area by the Airline Deregulation Act, 49 U.S.C. 41713. Therefore,
the consultation and funding requirements of Executive Order 13132 do
not apply.
D. Executive Order 13175
This rule has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and
criteria contained in Executive Order 13175 (Consultation and
Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments). Because the requirements
of this final rule do not significantly or uniquely affect the
communities of the Indian tribal governments or impose substantial
direct compliance costs on them, the funding and consultation
requirements of Executive Order 13175 do not apply.
E. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601, et
seq.) requires Federal agencies to review and assess the impact on
small entities of any regulation required by 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other
law to be published as a proposed rule for public comment prior to
issuance of a final rule. Because no notice of proposed rulemaking is
required for this rule under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C.
553) or any other law, the analytical provisions of the RFA do not
apply.
F. Paperwork Reduction Act
This final rule contains ``collections of information'' as defined
by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) (PRA).
Specifically, it establishes two new information collection
requirements: (1) the submission of a Passenger Rights Summary to the
Department; and (2) the subsequent posting of that summary on carriers'
websites. The Department has not yet obtained an OMB Control Number for
these information collection requirements.
Under the PRA, no person is required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.
Consequently, carriers are not required to submit their Passenger
Rights Summary until the Department publishes a separate notice
announcing
[[Page 21957]]
OMB approval and providing specific submission instructions. For
clarity, the 90-day statutory clock for website publication described
in 14 CFR 259.9(c) and 49 U.S.C. 41727 begins only after a carrier has
submitted its summary to the Department. The Department will not begin
accepting these submissions until the PRA process is finalized. The
Department will provide clear instructions to carriers on the
submission method and the 90-day publication window in a subsequent
notice.
G. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) at 2 U.S.C. 1532
requires that agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and
benefits before issuing any rule that may result in the expenditure by
State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for
inflation) in any one year. As described elsewhere in the preamble,
this final rule would have no such effect on State, local, and tribal
governments or on the private sector. Therefore, the Department has
determined that no assessment is required pursuant to UMRA.
H. National Environmental Policy Act
The Department has analyzed the environmental impacts of this final
rule pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 \4\ and
has determined that it is categorically excluded pursuant to DOT Order
5610.1D, Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, because this
rule falls under the categorical exclusion for ``[a]ctions relating to
consumer protection, including regulations.'' \5\ The Department does
not anticipate any environmental impacts, and there are no
extraordinary circumstances present in connection with this rulemaking.
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\4\ 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.
\5\ Available at <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-07/DOT_Order_5610.1D_OST-P-250627-001_508_Compliant.pdf">https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-07/DOT_Order_5610.1D_OST-P-250627-001_508_Compliant.pdf</a>.
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List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 259
Air carriers, Aviation safety, Consumer protection, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the U.S. Department of
Transportation amends 14 CFR part 259 as follows:
PART 259--ENHANCED PROTECTIONS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS
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1. The authority citation for part 259 is revised to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 40101(a)(4), 40101(a)(9), 40113(a), 41702,
41708, 41712, 41727, 42301, and 42305.
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2. Add Sec. 259.9 to read as follows:
Sec. 259.9 One-page Passenger Rights Summary.
(a) Submission requirement. Each covered air carrier shall submit
to the Department of Transportation a one-page summary document that
describes the rights of air passengers in air transportation (Passenger
Rights Summary).
(b) Content. The Passenger Rights Summary described in paragraph
(a) of this section shall include guidelines for the following:
(1) Compensation (regarding rebooking options, refunds, meals, and
lodging) for flight delays of various lengths;
(2) Compensation (regarding rebooking options, refunds, meals, and
lodging) for flight diversions;
(3) Compensation (regarding rebooking options, refunds, meals, and
lodging) for flight cancellations;
(4) Compensation for mishandled baggage, including delayed,
damaged, pilfered, or lost baggage;
(5) Voluntary relinquishment of a ticketed seat due to overbooking
or priority of other passengers; and
(6) Involuntary denial of boarding and forced removal for whatever
reason, including for safety and security reasons.
(c) website publication. Not later than 90 days after a covered air
carrier submits the Passenger Rights Summary described in paragraph (a)
of this section, the covered air carrier shall make the Passenger
Rights Summary available in a prominent location on its website.
(d) Definition. For the purposes of this section, the term covered
air carrier means an air carrier or a foreign air carrier as those
terms are defined by 49 U.S.C. 40102.
Signed in Washington, DC.
Gregory Zerzan,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2026-08103 Filed 4-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.