Rob acts predominantly for air carriers, as well as for their insurers. Much of his work is confidential in nature, but significant matters in which he has acted include:

In relation to the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions on air carrier liability:

• Felicísima v. Iberia Linéas Aereas de España SA Operadora Unipersonal and IATA Espana SLU Case C-218/24, ECLI:EU:C:2025:794 - whether pets accompanying passengers are excluded from the meaning of ‘baggage’
• Wealmoor Ltd v. KLM CIA Real Holandesa de Aviacion [2026] 1 WLR 261 – ‘event which caused the damage’, ‘inherent vice’, ‘defective packaging’
• Ford v. Malaysian Airline System Berhad [2014] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 301 (CA) – ‘accident’
• Barclay v. British Airways Plc [2010] QB 187 (CA) – ‘accident’ Laroche v. Spirit of Adventure (UK) Ltd [2009] QB 778 (CA), [2008] 4 All ER 494 (QBD) – time bar, ‘aircraft’
• Re Deep Vein Thrombosis and Air Travel Group Litigation [2006] 1 AC 495 (HL), [2004] QB 234 (CA), [2003] 1 All ER 935 (QBD) – ‘accident’, airline liability for DVTs; successful defence of class action acting for 26 of the 27 carriers originally sued, as well as advising and assisting with the written advocacy in the parallel Australian case Povey v. Qantas Airways Ltd [2005] 223 CLR 189 (HCA), (2003) 11 VR 642 (SCV(CA)).
• GKN Westland Helicopters Ltd v. Korean Air [2003] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 629 (QBD) – interface of the convention with CPR Pt 36.
• Morris v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines [2002] 2 AC 628 (HL), [2002] QB 100 (CA) – ‘bodily injury’
• Disley v. Levine [2002] 1 WLR 785 (CA), [2001] PIQR P10 (QBD) – ‘aircraft’; ‘passenger’; carriage ‘for reward’
• Rolls Royce Plc v. Heavylift-Volga Dnepr Ltd [2000] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 653 (QBD) – scope of carriage by air; ‘aerodrome’, article 25 recklessness
• The Post Office v. British World Airlines Ltd [2000] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 378 (QBD) – entitlement of Post Office to sue pursuant to the Convention re mail flights
• Chaudhari v. British Airways Plc [1997] EWCA Civ 1413 (CA) – ‘accident’
• Deaville and others v. Aeroflot Russian International Airlines [1997] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 67 (QBD) – Jurisdiction; stay of foreign proceedings
• Milor SRL v. British Airways Plc [1996] QB 702 (CA) – Jurisdiction, forum non-conveniens
• Gurtner v. Beaton [1993] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 369 (CA), (1990) 1 S&B Av R VII/499 (QBD) – article 25 recklessness; apparent authority

In relation to Regulation (EC) No.261/2004 on denied boarding, cancellation and delay:

• Gahan v. Emirates [2018] 1 WLR 2287 (CA) – territorial extent; connecting flights
• Dawson v. Thomson Airways Ltd [2015] 1 WLR 883 (CA) – applicable limitation period; obligation to follow EU law
• Huzar v. Jet2.Com Ltd [2014] 4 All ER 581 (CA) – ‘extraordinary circumstances’

In relation to public international air law/ the Chicago Convention 1944:

• R (Kibris Turk Hava Yollari) v. Secretary of State for Transport [2011] 2 All ER (Comm) 340 (CA), [2010] 1 All ER (Comm) 253 (QBD) – Sovereign territory; suspension of treaty rights; obligation to respect treaty rights of other signatory states; the right to fly to Northern Cyprus

In relation to the admissibility of Annex 13 air accident reports in civil proceedings:

• Rogers v. Hoyle [2015] QB 265 (CA)

In relation to travel law/ ATOL Regulation:

• R (The Association of British Travel Agents Ltd) v. Civil Aviation Authority [2007] 2 All ER (Comm) 898 (CA), (2006) ACD 49 (QBD) – ‘package’; successful judicial review of CAA’s legal interpretation

In relation to slots:

• ICC Arbitration No. 25365. A dispute between two airlines concerning rights to airport slots at a major international airport subject to EU remedy allocation (2020).
• The purchase by British Airways Plc from the administrators of Monarch Airlines Ltd of the latter’s entire portfolio of take-off and landing slots at London Gatwick airport (2017)

In relation to route allocation/licensing:

• Air Transport Licensing Authority of Hong Kong’s Public Inquiry re Application for a Licence by Jetstar Hong Kong Airways Ltd (2015) – Principal Place of Business; successful objection to licensing of Jetstar Hong Kong
• Civil Aviation Authority Scarce Capacity Allocation Certificate Decisions 1/12 (Moscow), 1/10 (Cairo) & 1/09 (Kiev)
• Civil Aviation Authority Air Transport Licences and Route Licences Decisions 2/99 (Zurich/Geneva), 4/98 (Moscow) & 3/98 (Cape Town)

In relation to product liability:

• Ad hoc arbitration between an air carrier and others concerning responsibility for a major aircraft accident arising out of a mid-air collision. A dispute concerning alleged negligent design of an avionics system as installed on a much-used class of commercial passenger aircraft. (2011)
• ICC arbitration No.16348. A dispute between an aircraft product manufacturer and a specialist sub-contractor concerning a component of a part within the landing gear of a much-used class of commercial passenger aircraft. (2010)
• The Nimrod Review (aka the Haddon-Cave Review, 2009) and the related inquest into the loss of Nimrod MR2 XV230 (2008) – airworthiness of Nimrod MR2 aircraft type, safety case adequacy; the watershed in military aviation safety regulation
• Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise v. Honeywell Ltd and others (QBD) – responsibility for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fire at London Heathrow airport as between various aircraft part manufacturers, 2015
• Lambson Aviation Ltd v. Embraer Empresa Brasiliera de Aeronautica SA [2001] All ER (D) 152 (QBD) – responsibility for the Knight Air flight 816 fatal air accident as between the operator, aircraft manufacturer and an aircraft flight instrument manufacturer

In relation to matters of contract:

• Odyssey Aviation Ltd  v. GFG 737 Ltd [2019] EWHC 1980 (Comm) – jurisdiction to award statutory interest
• Aircraft Purchase Fleet Ltd v. Compagnia Aera Italiana SPA [2018] EWHC 3315 (comm) – renunciation of contract; impossibility of performance; successful defence of US$260 million damages claim
• Donkers v. Storm Aviation Ltd [2015] 1 All ER (Comm) 282 (QBD) – proper law of indemnity provision in a ground handling agreement; recovery of foreign social insurance payments
• Mehboob Travel Ltd and others v. Pakistan International Airlines Corp [2013] EWHC 2120 (QB) (QBD) - compromise
• Global 5000 Ltd v. Sarang Wadhawan [2012] 2 All ER (Comm) 18 (CA), [2011] 2 All ER (Comm) 190 (QBD) – contractual gateway for service out of the jurisdiction; whether guarantee given
• Monarch Airlines Ltd v. London Luton Airport Ltd [1998] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 403 (QBD) – construction and reasonableness of an airport operator’s exclusion clause (in standard market form)

Rob also has considerable experience in conducting ICC, LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations covering a wide range of disputes (including insurance coverage).