Illegal Charters and Aviation Law

Book excerpt: This book concerns the subject of illegal charters. The risks associated with illegal charters are high, and the consequences are dire and different for all the parties involved. Pilots can lose their hard-earned licenses, aircraft owners might not get paid by the insurance companies, businesses might be prosecuted and fined, customers do not get what they paid for. The worst consequence of an illegal charter is that someone gets hurt or killed. The tragic part in reading about a flight accident is the understanding that an illegal charter could have been avoided. The present book aims to fulfil the industry’s call for greater awareness, education, and transparency. It will systematically and thoroughly investigate the application of law in a practical context of illegal charters. It engages in a comprehensive comparative study across various jurisdictions, such as the USA, Europe, Russia, Asia and the Middle East. This text considers whether the elements evidencing state practice in regulation of illegal charters are peculiar to the region and legal system. It examines how illegal charters can be prevented and undertakes the analysis of risks and consequences of illegal charters. This is an important book that is likely to have a significant impact on existing scholarship regarding international and national aviation law and be of interest of all parties involved in aviation. This includes industry professionals, legal practitioners, academics, policy-makers, and government officials.