How many hours on tarmac

This is a guide explaining passenger rights and airline obligations during a tarmac delay. These apply to flights to, from and within Canada, including connecting flights. In the event of a tarmac delay, the airline operating the affected flight is responsible for meeting obligations to passengers.

The guide covers:. This guide also provides tips for managing common tarmac delay situations. These are meant to help both airlines and passengers understand what factors the Canadian Transportation Agency CTA would consider if a passenger complained to the CTA about a disrupted flight.

The guide describes airlines' minimum obligations to passengers in the event of a tarmac delay. Airlines also have minimum obligations that apply to all flight delays, generally, and flight cancellations. This is not a legal document. The explanations and definitions it provides are for general guidance purposes only. In case of differences between this guide and legislation or regulations, the legislation and regulations prevail.

A tarmac delay occurs when passengers are confined, with no immediate opportunity to disembark, to an aircraft that:. Closed aircraft doors define a tarmac delay. An aircraft waiting at the gate with its doors open is not experiencing a tarmac delay. If an aircraft's departure is delayed and the doors are open, the situation would be considered a flight delay, not a tarmac delay.

In those cases, airlines have to follow their flight delay obligations. The obligations in this guide apply only to tarmac delays. Passengers have specific rights in a tarmac delay situation. Airlines must provide them with certain amenities while they wait on board the aircraft. With some exceptions, once the tarmac delay has reached three hours, airlines must let passengers leave the aircraft.

The sections below explain airlines' responsibilities at each of these points. Airlines must meet certain standards of treatment for passengers waiting on board the aircraft, regardless of the location. Delays like these underscore ongoing issues with flying, Elliott said. Someone needs to stand up and say you cannot keep people trapped on the tarmac for more than 8 hours, and maybe something will be done.

Home Personal Finance. United Airlines passengers were trapped on tarmac for 16 hours — is that legal? Published: Jan. ET By Kari Paul. UAL No More Time To Comment! Fox Rothschild LLP. Published In: Air Carriers. Aviation Industry.

Department of Transportation DOT. Rulemaking Process. Travel Delays. Administrative Agency. Fox Rothschild LLP on:. Sign Up Log in. Making matters more complicated? If a passenger does choose to leave the plane, the airline is not obligated to let the passenger back on board. This means a passenger who chooses to deplane can miss their flight and be separated from any checked luggage.

You would also be responsible for contacting the airline and arranging the return of any luggage that departed, too. So getting off the plane is not always the easiest option. Passengers always have the option to file a complaint against an airline if they feel they've been mistreated—and may be compensated if the airline agrees.