Guide
Tarmac delay rules: how long you can be kept on board
Sitting on a stationary aircraft with the door shut is one of the few airline situations where US law sets hard time limits. Airlines must give you food and water, working toilets, regular updates and, after a set number of hours, the chance to get off. Here is what the rule actually says, when it applies, and the exceptions that let a delay run longer.
On this page
What counts as a tarmac delay
The regulation defines a tarmac delay as the period when an aircraft is on the ground with passengers on board and they have no opportunity to deplane. It applies equally to a flight stuck before departure (boarded, door closed, waiting to take off) and to one that has landed but cannot reach a gate. A diverted flight is treated as an arriving flight until passengers are offered the chance to get off, and as a departing flight after that.
The rule is in 14 CFR 259.4. It covers US airlines and foreign airlines operating scheduled or public charter flights to, from or within the United States with aircraft originally designed for 30 or more passengers, at US airports of every size, from the large hubs down to non-hub airports. A delay at a foreign airport is outside it.
The time limits
| When | What the airline must do |
|---|---|
| Delay passes 30 minutes | Tell passengers on board the status of the delay. Further updates are at the airline's discretion. |
| Throughout | Keep lavatories working and provide adequate medical attention if needed. |
| No later than 2 hours | Provide adequate food and drinking water, unless the captain decides safety or security prevents it. |
| Before 3 hours (domestic flights) | Give passengers the opportunity to deplane, subject to the exceptions below. |
| Before 4 hours (international flights) | Give passengers the opportunity to deplane, subject to the exceptions below. |
| Whenever deplaning becomes possible | Tell passengers promptly that they may get off. |
These are the maximums. An airline can commit to shorter limits in its own Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays, which each covered airline must adopt, follow and publish. Where a flight is sold under one airline's code and operated by another, the marketing airline's plan applies unless its contract of carriage says the operating airline's plan governs.
The exceptions
The three and four-hour limits are not absolute. The airline is not in breach if:
- The aircraft has started back. For a departing flight, it is enough that the aircraft begins returning to a gate or other place where passengers can get off by the three or four-hour mark. If the aircraft is somewhere the airline does not control, that moment is when the crew asks the control tower or airport authority for permission to return.
- Safety or security. The captain decides that deplaning would put passengers at risk, or there is a safety or security reason the aircraft cannot move.
- Air traffic control. Controllers advise the captain that returning to deplane would significantly disrupt airport operations.
The food-and-water requirement has its own exception for safety or security. The lavatory and medical requirements have none.
Getting off is optional, and has a cost
The rule gives you the opportunity to deplane. It does not require the airline to cancel the flight, and many aircraft taxi back, let off those who want to leave, and then depart. If you choose to get off and the flight leaves without you, think through what happens next before you stand up:
- Your checked bag may stay on the aircraft.
- Whether you can be rebooked, and on what terms, depends on the airline's policy and on what happens to the flight.
- If the flight is ultimately cancelled, or arrives three or more hours late on a domestic trip (six or more internationally), and you choose not to travel, US rules entitle you to a refund of the fare. See refund rights when a flight is cancelled or delayed.
If a long tarmac delay means you will miss an onward flight, our guide to missed connecting flights explains how that is handled on one ticket versus two.
What the airline has to report
Any tarmac delay longer than three hours on a domestic flight, or four hours on an international flight, at a US airport must be reported to the Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection within 30 days. The report must give the cause, the length, and what the airline did about food, water, toilets and medical help. Failing to follow the plan is treated as an unfair and deceptive practice that DOT can take enforcement action over.
What to do during a long delay
- Note the time the door closed (or the time you landed) and keep notes of the announcements. The clock is what the rule turns on.
- Ask the crew, politely, about water and the expected timeline once two hours have passed.
- Say so immediately if you or someone with you has a medical need. Medical attention is required throughout.
- Check the airline app for rebooking options while you wait, especially if a connection is at risk.
- Complain afterwards if the rule was broken. Use the airline's own complaint channel first, then the DOT consumer complaint form.
What the rule does not do
The tarmac rule is about conditions on board. It does not create a right to cash compensation for the delay itself, and it does not cover waiting in the terminal. For those situations, see what US rules do and do not give you in our refund rights guide, and, if you were removed from an oversold flight, the separate rules on bumping compensation.
Common questions
How long can a plane sit on the tarmac with passengers in the US?
Airlines must give passengers the opportunity to deplane before a tarmac delay passes three hours on a domestic flight or four hours on an international flight, under 14 CFR 259.4. Exceptions apply for safety, security, air traffic control advice, or if the aircraft has already begun returning to a gate.
When do airlines have to give food and water during a tarmac delay?
No later than two hours after the delay starts, unless the captain decides that safety or security prevents it. Working lavatories and medical attention must be available throughout.
Do I get compensation for a long tarmac delay?
The tarmac rule itself does not provide cash compensation. If the flight is cancelled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a refund of the fare under the separate refund rules in 14 CFR Part 260.
Does the rule apply to flights from foreign airports?
No. The time limits apply to tarmac delays at US airports. They cover foreign airlines there too, but a delay at an airport outside the US is governed by that country's rules and the airline's own policy.
Do I have to get off if the airline lets passengers deplane?
No. The rule requires the airline to offer the opportunity. If you leave, the flight may depart without you, and your checked bag may stay on board.
Sources
- 14 CFR Part 259, Enhanced Protections for Airline Passengers (eCFR)
- 14 CFR Part 260, Refunds (eCFR)
- US Department of Transportation: File a consumer complaint
General information, not legal advice about your situation. Trailisse is an independent travel agency; the US Department of Transportation and the regulation itself are the authority.