Air Law Lecture

While airplane crashes may be highly publicized when they occur, airplanes are the safest modes of transportation. Aviation is subject to significant regulation and oversight: through research, education of air travel personnel and passengers, as well as the design of aircraft and aviation infrastructure, aviation incidents and accidents can be prevented.

But what happens if the worst case scenario occurs and people lose their lives following an airplane accident? Who is liable? What effects do those tragic incidents have on bilateral relationships or international law in general?

In this lecture organized by ELSA Cologne, Prof. Dr. Stephan Hobe, director of the Cologne institute for aviation, space and cyber law, will take a closer look at four of the most impactful airplane accidents of our time. First of all, the 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision case will be assessed, as it constitutes a case study in the area of third-party liability.

Furthermore, the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 will be analyzed in conjunction to the 09/11 attacks, due to their interesting nature and the effect they had on the evolution of the air law jurisprudence. Finally, the Germanwings flight 9525 will be discussed as an interesting yet different case in regards to the aforementioned cases.

The lecture will take place in Hörsaal VI in the main building of Cologne University from 18:00 PM to 19:00 PM and will be held in English.