Airlines tired of paying for turned away passengers

Airlines are tired of paying the costs incurred by passengers turned away in the country of arrival and their global professional organization called on Friday to “clarify responsibilities”. “Average costs per passenger range from around $4,000 in North Asia to $14,000 in Europe,” according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), based on figures provided by 49 member companies and 22 border surveillance authorities.

However, “in recent years”, the number of rejected passengers “has increased, reflecting the increasing complexity of international travel and border management”, specifies Iata in a press release. The Association calls for “clarifying responsibilities”, “making fines and costs proportionate”, or even “improving transparency: telling companies why a passenger was turned away, within the limits permitted by law, so that they can understand what went wrong and help prevent a recurrence”.

According to the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization, companies are required to check upon boarding that their passengers have valid papers for their arrival. If an error in this process is their fault, they must bear the costs of housing and feeding a turned away passenger. But in a survey covering the year 2024, “airlines responded that they had paid at least part of the costs that should have been assumed by States in more than 90% of cases,” lamented Iata.

One of them said she had received a bill for “nearly 60,000 euros (300 euros per day for six months)” for a passenger held in administrative detention “while waiting for the embassy concerned to cooperate,” she reported. “This extreme case illustrates the need for a fairer solution. We will take responsibility when the mistake is ours. But companies should not suffer such high costs, without limit, when a situation is totally out of control for them,” explained the Association.

These companies, which in all cases assume the cost of the return flight, may also receive fines, the justification for which they sometimes deplore. Some cases concern passengers who present a valid visa, but who for complex legal or administrative reasons, unknown to the carrier, are refused the right to enter a given country.