Tarmac Delay Final Rule
U.S. Department of Transportation · checked 2026-10-04
The app uses the figures and rules named on that page. It does not replace the page.
travel · official figure · reviewed 2026-10-04
Compare Tarmac Hours with the Deplane Clock
An excessive tarmac delay is more than three hours on a domestic flight and more than four hours on an international flight.
What this guide helps you do
Compare time on the tarmac with the DOT domestic and international deplane clocks.
The figure that changes the result
Three hours is the domestic clock. An international flight uses four hours. Safety and air-traffic control can extend the time.
Reading the tarmac rule and separating domestic from international takes about 20 minutes. Complaints often use three hours for every flight.
Who this is for
A passenger who was held on an aircraft and needs the federal deplane clock for a complaint.
Steps
Step 1
Write the time the aircraft left the gate or landed, and the time you could deplane.
Step 2
Choose domestic or international.
Step 3
Compare the hours with 3 or with 4.
Step 4
Note whether a snack and a drink were offered by two hours.
Step 5
Ask the airline for the tarmac-delay record before you file a complaint.
Worked example
A domestic delay of 3.25 hours is over the three-hour clock. An international delay of 3.25 hours is not over the four-hour clock. Safety, security, or air-traffic control can still change the legal result.
These hours are over the 3-hour deplane clock.
- Tarmac hours entered: 3.25.
- Deplane clock: 3 hours.
- Over the deplane clock: yes.
- Food note: two-hour food assurance may apply.
A domestic flight's excessive tarmac delay is more than three hours.
Where this goes wrong
This tool cannot judge a safety or air-traffic-control exception. Do not treat a clock result as a fine or a refund.
What the source says
Limits
The two-hour food note comes from DOT enforcement orders that describe the carrier assurance.
The deplane definition is in the DOT rule and 49 U.S.C. 42301.
The tool does not file a complaint.
This tool gives general information. It is not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change. Check the result with a licensed attorney or a legal aid office before you act.
Use the current instruction from the agency named above. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision.
Free companion app
Compare time on the tarmac with the DOT domestic and international deplane clocks.
Open Compare Tarmac Hours with 3 or 4
Your entries stay on this device. We do not receive them.
This guide uses short, direct instructions as an ASD-STE100-style writing target. It is not a formal certification.