GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026

Montreal Convention

The Montreal Convention is the international treaty governing air carrier liability for loss, damage, or delay of cargo, baggage, and passengers on international flights.

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Last updated: 26 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.icao.int/secretariat/legal/List%20of%20Parties/Mtl99_EN.pdf

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Logistics Concept

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Definition & Explanation

The Montreal Convention is the international treaty governing air carrier liability for loss, damage, or delay of cargo, baggage, and passengers on international flights. Adopted in 1999 under ICAO auspices, it establishes a two-tier liability system: carriers are strictly liable up to defined limits expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and liable without limit only where wilful misconduct is proven. In air freight practice, the per-kilogram cap means that shippers of high-value goods routinely declare a higher value on the air waybill (AWB) or arrange separate cargo insurance to close the coverage gap. The Convention superseded the Warsaw Convention and its various amending protocols, and has since been ratified by the vast majority of ICAO member states.

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