The Rising Tide and Global Reach of Passenger Rights Legislation – Fragmentation to Harmonization
With the proliferation of national and regional passenger rights laws, this panel will examine the
growing risk of legal fragmentation in international air transport. Topics include overlapping obligations
under regional and national legislations (such as EU Regulation 261/2004, the U.S. Air Carrier Access
Act, Canada’s APPR) and consider implications for multimodal transport. Panelists will assess the
feasibility of harmonized standards, the role of treaty and ICAO provisions, and the legal implications
for airlines operating across jurisdictions. The session will also explore enforcement challenges, liability
gaps, and the potential for a global passenger rights framework.
Moderator:
Doug Mullen, Acting Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Airlines for America (A4A)
Panelists:
- Martine de Serres, Assistant General Counsel, Customer Regulatory and Resolution, Air Canada
- Daniel Wand, 4 Kings Bench Walk Chambers, London, United Kingdon
- Marco Ramazotti, Legal Adviser, Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)
- Ricardo Bernardi, Partner, Bernardi and Schnapp Advocates, Brazil
Up Next in CALAF 2026
-
Spotlight 2
Shaping Aviation Insurance for Emerging Aerospace Risks
This presentation will explore how aviation insurance frameworks are adapting to the evolving
risk landscape in aerospace operations. With the rise of advanced air mobility (AAM), unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS), artificial intelligence (AI)... -
Panel 6
Data Protection in International Air Carriage: Legal Challenges, Regulatory Divergence, and
Opportunities for Resolution
As civil aviation operations increasingly depend on the timely exchange of passenger data across
borders, the legal and regulatory complexities of data protection have become a... -
Panel 7
State Responsibility for Airports and Air Navigation Services in the Modern Age
This panel will examine the evolving scope of State responsibility for airports and air navigation
services in an era of increasing privatization, automation, public-private partnerships, regional
arrangements. and cr...