Aviation
Crowell & Moring LLP and its predecessors pioneered aviation law practice almost 60 years ago. Current clients include U.S. and foreign airlines, tour operators, carrier and manufacturer associations, aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturers and other companies with aviation interests. The Aviation Group's legal work centers on regulatory, legislative, administrative, enforcement, business aircraft transactions and litigation matters. Working with attorneys in other specialties at Crowell & Moring LLP and economists and trade experts at C&M International, our aviation-related practice also includes antitrust, bankruptcy, contracts, customs, export control, financing, immigration, labor and employment, tax and trade work.
Our regulatory work focuses primarily on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and issues such as airline alliances, airport access, antitrust immunity, business aviation, essential air service, computer reservation systems, certification and licensing, competition, enforcement, flight operations, hazardous materials, mergers and acquisitions, route authority and safety. We also represent clients before other federal departments and agencies, including the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, State and Treasury, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Postal Service. We also work often with the Department of State and foreign governments on bilateral and multilateral aviation issues and serve as an advisor in international negotiations.
Our business aviation practice encompasses the full range of transactional and regulatory issues affecting corporate aircraft owners and operators. We advise large and small businesses and individuals, both foreign and domestic, in aircraft sale, purchase, lease, fractional ownership, management and finance transactions. Our attorneys have advised clients developing fractional ownership programs and acquiring or financing aircraft interests in such programs. One of our attorneys participated in the committee appointed by the FAA to develop regulations governing these programs. We provide advice on FAA, DOT and income and excise tax issues affecting aircraft operations and corporate flight departments and assist our clients in structuring their aircraft operations to comply with applicable FAA, DOT and IRS requirements. In addition, we have represented pilots and others in FAA enforcement actions and NTSB appeals.
We also have engaged extensively in airport access litigation and appellate work on a variety of administrative agency decisions, including FAA enforcement actions against airlines and certificated persons, and appeals to the NTSB as well as challenges to agency rulemaking. In other areas of litigation, we have substantial experience in aviation products liability cases and tort claims. In the legislative field, we assist clients in achieving their objectives by furnishing assistance in drafting legislation and testimony on issues such as airline regulation, foreign investment in airlines, airport access and slot regulation.
The Aviation Group represents aviation industry organizations, including the Regional Airline Association and Helicopter Association International and serves as counsel on special assignments for the Airlines Reporting Corporation. Airline clients include Aer Lingus, Air Micronesia, Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Corsairfly, Jetairfly, SkyWest, Thomson, Transaero Airlines, TUIFLY Nordic, and Vision Airlines. Air freight forwarder clients have included Danzas AEI and Emery Air Freight. Numerous other clients, including the corporate flight departments of Fortune 500® companies, are represented on aviation-related matters.
For more information, please contact R. Bruce Keiner, Jr., Lorraine B. Halloway, or Eileen M. Gleimer.