Airline passengers will receive higher compensation for baggage and delays
Airline passengers will benefit from higher compensation in case of loss or damage to luggage and flight delays. A bill providing for an increase in civil liability insurance for passengers, luggage, postal items and goods was approved in the second reading by 61 deputies.
The new regulations establish higher minimum insurance requirements for air operators and aircraft operating flights on, to, from or over the territory of the Republic of Moldova. According to the authors of the draft, this change will increase the financial protection of passengers in the event of accidents, loss, destruction or damage to baggage, postal items and cargo.
Thus, the minimum amount of civil liability insurance for passengers for damage caused by delays will increase from 5,346 SDR to 6,303 SDR per passenger, equivalent to approximately 151,000 lei, according to the exchange rate of the National Bank of Moldova. In the case of baggage, the minimum limit will increase from 1,288 SDR to 1,519 SDR per passenger (approximately 36,000 lei), and for the transport of cargo, the amount will be 26 SDR per kilogram.
The draft amendment to the Law on Civil Liability and Insurance Requirements for Air Operators and Aircraft Operators was developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, in collaboration with the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The initiative aligns with the provisions of the Montreal Convention of 1999, to which the Republic of Moldova is a party, which requires the periodic review of liability limits based on global inflation.
The amendments will enter into force on the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
What does SDR mean?
Special Drawing Rights (SDR) is an international unit of account created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and used as a reference in establishing limits of liability and compensation in civil aviation, by the Montreal Convention of 1999.
The value of the SDR is determined based on a basket of major international currencies (US dollar, euro, Chinese yuan, Japanese yen and British pound) and is updated daily by the IMF. The use of this unit ensures stability and fairness in the calculation of compensation, protecting both passengers and air operators from currency fluctuations.
