Air Charter and the Warsaw Convention: A Study in International Air Law

The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1956. — 143 p.The extent to which the famous Warsaw Convention of 1929 applies to air transport conducted under "charters" or leases has become an intricate problem. In far-away 1929, the business was conducted on a direct basis between a carrier and each passenger and each shipper of a parcel. The draftsmen did not envisage a single airliner flying from New York to Buenos Aires over the routes of three airlines, and changing crews at Miami, Panama and Lima. Nor did they think of the entire crew of an ocean ship, or a business or tourist group, hiring a plane for a voyage half-way around the world, with travel-agencies, freight forwarders and other intermediate forms of business intervention. The language which they chose was not that of the "Hague Rules" or Brussels 1924 Ocean Bill of Lading Convention, but considerably broader, and without direct precedent. Professor Grönfors discussed not less than twelve situations relating to air charter.
Air charters within the United States have become familiar through the "non-sked" or "supplemental air carrier" activity. A lively air charter market operates internationally out of London. The CAB is now conducting an investigation of international air chartering. Mr. Grönfors's thorough study will be welcomed. It is another feather in the cap of the Institute of International Air Law of McGill University.The Concept of Charter Contract
The Two Main Problems
Previously Suggested Methods for Deciding the Applicability of the Warsaw Rules to Air Charter
An Analysis of the Two Main Problems
Examination of Different Types of Situations Relating to Air Charter
Warsaw Clauses in Air Charter Agreements