Travel and aviation
Aviation law
Case notes on the law of air travel, including claims against airlines and aircraft operators.
Newest first
- Aviation law
High Court refuses special leave; Qatar shame to go to trial
Five Australian women who were forced off their flight at Doha international airport in October 2020 and subjected to invasive physical examinations in an ambulance on the tarmac without their consent can continue their…
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Picture hiddenAviation lawAir Canada mid-air turbulence causes serious injuries
When Renae Evans and her daughter boarded an Air Canada flight AC33 from Vancouver to Sydney in July 2019, they had no idea their journey would become the centre of a legal battle that might take a decade to resolve.
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Picture hiddenAviation lawTurbulence event exposes Air Canada to major damages claims
A court has ruled that state laws apply to the formulation of damages recoverable by international airline passengers for cabin injuries sustained in a turbulence event.
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Picture hiddenAviation lawSwedish families sue in Australia for parachute air crash defects
The surviving family members of eight skydivers killed in a 2019 plane crash in Sweden have sued the Victorian manufacturer of the aircraft in a Melbourne court.
- Aviation law
Seaworld helicopter tragedy must be a catalyst for law change
Claims for injury compensation arising out of the SeaWorld helicopter tragedy face two major legal hurdles in recovering compensation.
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Picture hiddenAviation lawQantasLink not Qantas: liability trap for passengers on other airline’s aircraft
Can an airline that tickets a passenger for a flight under its name escape liability under air carriage law because the flight is conducted on an aircraft operated by a different carrier?
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Picture hiddenAviation lawEmirates Airlines crashes for second time on refusal to pay injured passenger
A passenger who sustained a minor cabin injury aboard an Emirates B777 and who chose to sue in Australia has achieved a major legal breakthrough for all Australian international airline users.
- Aviation law
Jurisdiction error proved fatal for father’s aircraft crash nervous shock claim
Update — 14 September 2022: Mr Page took his case to the High Court of Australia (case S60/2022). The High Court matter concluded by consent orders on 14 September 2022. The Court of Appeal decision is explained below.
- Aviation law
Pilot skewered in amusement ride crash; Teenage rider in big psych damages win
A series of extraordinary events led to a light aircraft colliding with a Ferris wheel at a beach festival on the NSW mid-north coast in October 2011.
- Aviation law
In planes and on boats, bad acts by states lay siege to benevolent federal laws
What law must be applied in the adjudication of a claim arising out of an overseas accident that is litigated in Australia?
- Aviation law
Airlines’ overseas agreements ruled illegal for their effect on Australian competition
Air New Zealand and Garuda Indonesia have both been fined for their role in a price-fixing cartel for air cargo shipments in Australia.
- Aviation law
Pilot crashes in cloud after pressing on, sues for inadequate weather warnings
An experienced pilot whose helicopter crashed after being caught in cloud in the PNG highlands - contrary to the air rules under which the flight was being conducted - has sued his employer for his catastrophic injuries.
Case notes explain decisions in other people’s cases. They are general information, not legal advice, and every claim turns on its own facts.
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