This article examines the proliferation of specific consumer legislation in air travel and its consequences; in particular regarding assistance and compensation in cases of denied boarding, flight delay and cancellation. Drawing on international, European Union (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004), and national law sources, this article presents some specific aspects of airline consumer protection regimes across the world. Developments in this area have given rise to issues and challenges, including the overlapping of legal and geographical scopes of different passenger protection instruments. In view of these developments, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is getting more involved, and has been mandated to establish a set of high level, non-binding, non-prescriptive core principles on consumer protection in aviation.
Air and Space Law