English Commercial Court determines that a state-owned airline is not entitled to be served in accordance with the State Immunity Act

In AELF MSN 242, LLC (a Puerto Rico limited liability company) v De Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. D.B.A. Surinam Airways [2022] EWHC 544 (Comm), the English Commercial Court (the “Court“) considered whether the national flag carrier of Suriname (“SLM“) was entitled to be served with proceedings in accordance with s12(1) of the State Immunity Act 1978 (the … Read more

Global Aircraft Trading System (GATS): Enforcement by financiers

Global Aircraft Trading System (GATS) is a fully electronic system designed to facilitate certain aircraft trading and financing transactions. We have previously discussed the practical considerations for lessees, lessors and financiers in terms of transitioning to GATS. In this article, we discuss the operation of GATS in an enforcement scenario. Read more

Smart Legal Contracts: adding a living dimension to aviation finance documentation

In our last post, we looked at how blockchain could be deployed by the aviation sector. We mentioned that when combined with a smart contract, routine events under aviation financing documentation could be automated. Today, we explore this potential more deeply to see how smart legal contracts (SLCs) can transform legal contracts into powerful 21st … Read more

ENGLISH HIGH COURT STAYS COURT PROCEEDINGS IN FAVOUR OF ARBITRATION AND INTERPRETS CONFLICTING DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISIONS

In Helice Leasing S.A.S v PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) TBK [2021] EWHC 99 (Comm), the English High Court interpreted seemingly conflicting dispute resolution provisions in an aircraft operating lease (the “Lease”). The Lease included an arbitration clause providing for “any dispute” to be resolved by the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”) and gave the lessor an … Read more