

If travel is entirely domestic, then local law applies.

However, travel from Los Angeles to New York City is not. Both countries must be parties to at least one of the two Conventions, with at least one being part of the Montreal Convention for it to apply.įor example, travel from Los Angeles to Tokyo would be covered by the Montreal Convention, as travel is international between two treaty countries. This is also the case if one of the countries involved has not signed either the Montreal Convention or the Warsaw Convention. If travel is entirely domestic, then the Montreal Convention does not apply. With some exceptions, the Montreal Convention applies when passengers travel on an airline reservation that includes travel between two countries which ratified the treaty. When Traveling Abroad, the Montreal Convention Likely Applies Today, the Montreal Convention is ratified in over 130 countries, including most with sophisticated aviation systems. In 1999, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body, held a convention in Montreal, Canada, with the goal of modernizing the Warsaw Convention. In 1929, the Warsaw Convention was born, limiting the value of claims travelers could make against airlines. By limiting damage awards through international treaties, insurers gained sufficient confidence to issue airline policies and foster a prosperous aviation industry. With potential unlimited liability, insurers were wary of issuing policies to airlines. In the early days of aviation, crashes were an unfortunately common occurrence, and the injury or death of passengers proved incredibly costly to airlines and their insurers.
