by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 12:15 PM ET, Wed September 9, 2026
A new Department of Transportation rule taking effect on October 19 will change how U.S. air carriers support travelers affected by certain flight delays and cancellations, stripping some requirements from impacted consumers.
The new rule, which is being put into effect without a public comment period, implements a part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which excludes ten specific events from the reporting code under the airline’s control.
What that means is that, as of October 19, there are ten causes of delays and cancellations that are no longer listed as being under an air carrier’s control.
Since they won't be held responsible for these situations, air carriers won’t be required to help support stranded travelers with hotel nights, food and beverage credits, or other aid.
Delays and cancellations fall into five categories: air carrier (the airline’s fault), extreme weather, the National Aviation System, security and late-arriving aircraft.
The new rule changes what’s listed under the air carrier category, excluding these ten situations:
— aircraft cleaning due to the death of a passenger
— aircraft damage caused by extreme weather, foreign objects or sabotage
— a baggage or cargo loading delay due to outages not controlled by the airline or its contractor
— a cybersecurity attack
— a government system shutdown or failure
— overheated brakes during a safety incident
— unscheduled maintenance
— a medical emergency
— the removal of an unruly passenger
— an airport closure due to weather events such as wind or volcanic ash
Travel + Leisure reports that the new rule will change airlines’ requirements for helping support stranded passengers, since these causes for delays will not be considered under the airlines’ own control: “Once the rule is implemented, airlines would no longer be obligated to provide hotel rooms, meals, or other passenger needs for flight disruptions due to maintenance issues on U.S.-originating flights (U.S. airlines are still subject to local consumer protection laws on flights departing from outside the United States).”
According to the ruling’s paperwork, Airlines for America, the major advocacy association for the major U.S. air carriers, filed a petition with the DOT to expedite the ruling.
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