Research on legal issues in delay in civil aviation

Abstract

No clear definition and detailed rules have been provided for the issue of delay in civil aviation so far. Such indeterminacy has further confused or delayed the proper resolution in practice. The issue of delay in international air transportation is itself a serious problem requiring international co-ordinance. Warsaw Convention took the first step to put the burden on the carrier and regulate its liability. When approaching the new century, increasing occurrence of international aviation brings forward the demand on more detailed rules on delay, which to a certain extent contribute to the new Montreal Convention. The Warsaw Convention shall remain as the basic document for the present discussion and the paper concludes by offering suggestions for further improvement in resolving disputes over liability resulting from delay in civil aviation.

有关航空延误问题,至今尚未出现明晰的定义和详细的规则。这种不确定性在实践中给问题的妥善解决带来了困惑和耽搁。国际航空运输中延误问题是一个需要国际合作的重大问题。《华沙公约》走出了第一步,让承运人承担责任,并对其进行规管。在新的世纪里,不断发展的国际航空产业要求为航空延误制定更详细的规则,这一要求从某种程度上也促成《蒙特利尔公约》的顺利通过。文章将主要依据1929年《华沙公约》的有关规定展开具体的讨论,为进一步改善因延误责任而产生的争端的最终解决提出建议。