Journal of Air Law and Commerce Volume 73 | Issue 1 Article 10 2008 Recent Developments in Aviation Law Jonathan E. DeMay Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/jalc Recommended Citation Jonathan E. DeMay, Recent Developments in Aviation Law, 73 J. Air L. & Com. 131 (2008) https://scholar.smu.edu/jalc/vol73/iss1/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Air Law and Commerce by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN AVIATION LAW JONATHAN E. DEMAY* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. FORUM NON COVENIENS ....................... 134 A. SINOCHEM INTERNATIONAL Co. v. MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CORP ................. 135 B. IN RE AIR CRASH NEAR ATHENS, GREECE ON AUGUST 14, 2005 ............................... 136 C. ESHEVA V. SIBERIA AIRLINES ..................... 138 D. TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA v. DHL DANZAS AIR & OCEAN .................. 141 E. BRITTON V. DALLAS AIRMOTIVE, INC ............. 143 II. FEDERAL PREEMPTION .......................... 145 A. AIRLINE DEREGULATION ACT OF 1978 ........... 145 1. Signer v. DHL Worldwide Express, Inc........ 146 2. Buck v. American Airlines, Inc............... 149 3. DiFiore v. American Airlines, Inc............. 153 4. Aloha Airlines, Inc. v. Mesa Air Group, Inc.......................................... 155 5. Miller v. Raytheon Aircraft Co................ 159 6. Ing v. American Airlines, Inc ................. 162 B. FEDERAL AVIATION ACT OF 1958 ................ 167 1. In re Air Crash at Lexington, Kentucky, August 27, 2006 ................................... 168 2. Levy v. ContinentalAirlines, Inc .............. 174 3. Air Evac EMS, Inc. v. Robinson .............. 177 * Jonathan E. DeMay is a partner of the law firm of Condon & Forsyth LLP. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Siena College in 1995 and obtained ajuris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 1998. He represents clients in all aspects of aviation law in federal and state trial and appellate proceedings. The author most gratefully acknowledges the assistance of several Condon & Forsyth LLP partners and associates in the preparation of this article. Although this article is being published in 2008, its scope generally is limited to legal developments from 2007. 132 JOURNAL OF AIR LAW AND COMMERCE C. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1994 .................. 179 1. Barber Auto Sales, Inc. v. United Parcel Services, Inc ................................. 180 2. Kuehne v. United Parcel Service, Inc.......... 181 D. FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT ..................... 182 1. Wojciechowicz v. United States ................ 183 2. Torjagbo v. United States ..................... 186 3. Garland v. U.S. Airways, Inc................. 187 E. RAILWAY LABOR ACT ............................ 188 1. Gilmore v. Northwest Airlines, Inc............. 189 2. Fitz-Gerald v. SkyWest Airlines, Inc............ 191 III. THE WARSAW AND MONTREAL CONVENTIONS ................................... 196 A. PREEMPTION UNDER THE MONTREAL AND WARSAW CONVENTIONS ......................... 197 1. Knowlton v. American Airlines, Inc ........... 197 2. In re Air Crash at Lexington, Kentucky, August 27, 2006 ................................... 201 3. Muoneke v. Compagnie National Air France... 203 B. INTERPRETING "INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE"........ 204 1. Gerard v. American Airlines, Inc .............. 204 C. JURISDICTION ................................... 206 1. Baah v. Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd .......... 206 D. LIMITATION OF ACTIONS ........................ 208 1. Sanchez Morrabal v. Omni Air Services, Co .......................................... 208 2. Onyekuru v. Northwest Airlines ............... 209 E. EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING ................. 210 1. Bunis v. Israir GSA, Inc ..................... 210 2. Maduro v. American Airlines, Inc............. 212 3. Dick v. American Airlines, Inc................ 214 F. ARTICLE 17 ACCIDENTS AND BODILY INJURY ..... 215 1. Wipranik v. Air Canada..................... 215 2. Watts v. American Airlines, Inc............... 216 3. Montanez-Baez v. Puerto Rico Ports A uthority .................................... 218 4. Kruger v. United Airlines, Inc................ 219 5. Zarlin v. Air France ......................... 220 6. Agravante v. Japan Airlines International Co .......................................... 22 1 G . D ELAY .......................................... 223 2008] RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 1. In re Nigeria Charter Rights Contract L itigation ................................... 223 2. Igwe v. Northwest Airlines, Inc................ 226 3. Onwuteaka v. Northwest Airlines, Inc...... 228 H . BAGGAGE ....................................... 229 1. Booker v. BWIA West Indies Airways Ltd ...... 229 I. DELIVERY OF CARGO ............................ 233 1. Wea Farms v. American Airlines, Inc .......... 234 2. O'Gray Import & Export v. British Airways P L C ........................................ 236 3. Nipponkoa Insurance Co. v. Globeground Services, Inc................................. 237 IV. DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS ........................ 240 A. MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION ..................... 241 1. Domestic R ight .............................. 241 a. Montalvo v. Spirit Airlines ............. 241 2. InternationalFlight .......................... 243 a. In re Deep Vein Thrombosis Litigation: Halterman v. Delta Airlines, Inc., Qantas Airways, Ltd. and Skywest, Inc ......................... .. 244 b. In re Deep Vein Thrombosis Litigation: .............................. 245 i. Dabulis v. Singapore Airlines, In c . ................................ 245 ii. Braha v. Delta Airlines, Inc ...... 247 iii. Rietschel v. U.S. Airways, Inc ....... 247 iv. Bianchetti v. Delta Airlines, Inc.... 249 c. In re Deep Vein Thrombosis Litigation: Vincent v. American Airlines, Inc ...... 250 V. FOREIGN SOVEREIGN IMMUNITIES ACT OF 19 76 ................................................ 251 A. VVAS V. BOEING Co ............................ 251 B. COLELLA V. REPUBLIC OF ARGENTINA ........... 254 C. GUPTA V. THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL, LTD... 255 D. BOEING CO. v. EGYPTAIR ....................... 256 VI. THE GENERAL AVIATION REVITALIZATION A CT O F 1994 ...................................... 258 A. PRIDGEN V. PARKER HANNIFIN CORP ............. 259 B. HASLER AVIATION, L.L.C. v. AIRCENTER, INC.... 260 C. ZAHORA V. PRECISION AIRMOTIVE CORP ...... 262 D. ROBINSON V. HARTZELL PROPELLER INC ......... 263 134 JOURNAL OF AIR LAW AND COMMERCE E. COLGAN AIR, INC. V. RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT INC .............................................. 265 VII. 9/11 LITIGATION ................................. 268 A. IN RE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER SITE LITIGATION ..................................... 268 B. IN RE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER SITE LITIGATION ..................................... 270 C. UNITED STATES V. MoussAouI .................. 273 D. IN RE SEPTEMBER 11 LITIGATION ................ 277 E. IN RE SEPTEMBER 11 LITIGATION ................ 280 F. IN RE SEPTEMBER 11 LITIGATION ................ 282 G. IN RE SEPTEMBER 11 LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE CASES ............................... 286 VIII. INSURANCE COVERAGE ......................... 290 A. GLOBAL AEROSPACE INC. V. ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER & CO. INSURANCE BROKERS OF CALIFORNIA, INC ................................. 290 B. PITT HELICOPTERS, INC. V. AIG AVIATION, INC .............................................. 294 IX. DEATH ON THE HIGH SEAS ACT ............... 297 A. IN RE AIR CRASH NEAR NANTUCKET ISLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ON OCTOBER 31, 1999 ........ 297 X. OTHER AVIATION RELATED CASES ............. 300 A. GUNTHER V. AIRTRAN HOLDINGS, INC ............ 300 B. IN RE TRAVEL AGENT COMMISSION ANTITRUST LITIGATION ..................................... 303 C. MORROW V. ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES, L TD ............................................. 305 D. CERQUEIRA V. AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC .......... 306 E. WILLIAMS V. UNITED AIRLINES, INC .............. 309 F. POWERS V. LYCOMING ENGINES .................. 311 G. GONZALEZ V. CARIBBEAN SUN AIRLINES, INC..... 313 XI. PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS ................... 315 A. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTION ................. 315 1. Airline PassengerBill of Rights Act of 2007 Bills ........................................ 3 15 B. STATE ACTION .................................. 317 1. New York PassengerBill of Rights ............. 317 I. FORUM NON CONVENIENS FJORUM NON CONVENIENS is the doctrine by which an ap- propriate forum may divest itself of jurisdiction if it appears that the action would more appropriately be conducted in an- 2008] RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 135 other forum in which the action might originally have been brought.' Dismissal on the ground of forum non conveniens "will ordinarily be appropriate where trial in the plaintiffs chosen forum imposes a heavy burden on the defendant or the court, and where the plaintiff is unable to offer any specific reasons of 2 convenience supporting his choice." A. SINOCHEM INTERNATIONAL CO. V. MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CORP. In Sinochem International Co. v. Malaysia International Shipping Corp.,3 the underlying controversy related to alleged misrepre- sentations by a Chinese importer to a Chinese admiralty court that resulted in the arrest of a Malaysian shipping company's vessel in China.4 The Supreme Court reversed the Third Circuit decision, which had found that the district court