Subjects:

Air & Space Law

The events of 11 September 2001 have so deeply shaped aviation history that everything else seems now to be of little importance. And yet the airline crisis had started already before that fatal date, as had the low-cost airlines. Even the collapse of Swissair and, of course, of Sabena had older histories and were not caused but only accelerated by the September terrorist attacks.

The year 2001 has continued to see the trend to alliances and consolidation between airlines, but also, importantly, indications of the EC Commission s emerging policy in this area.

Airports have also continued to receive increasing regulatory attention, particularly with regard to relations between airports and neighbouring communities in the face of the increasing demand for capacity at airports. The practical operation of Council Directive 94/56 on aircraft accident investigation has been tested by experience, particularly following the Concorde accident.

All these topical issues have been discussed at the Association s annual conference for 2001 in Zurich.