EU261 and prohibition of claim assignment: German Regional Court finds clause unfair

The Regional Court (Landesgericht) of Nuremberg-Fuerth in Germany found unfair a clause in the general terms and conditions of an airline that prohibits the assignment of claims under Regulation 261/2004 (EU261) to claims handling companies.

German district court rejects discrimination claim brought by Israeli passenger against Kuwait Airways for denied boarding

The District Court of Frankfurt ruled that Kuwait Airways was entitled to refuse boarding to an Israeli passenger because of his nationality, based on a Kuwaiti law that bans contracts with Israeli nationals. The judgment is subject to appeal.

CJEU rules on VAT for unused passenger tickets: A judgment with hidden consumer-law implications?

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) judged recently that airlines have to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) for unused, non-refundable airline tickets. This might have implications on the right of passengers to claim also VAT refund in case of unused (partly) refundable tickets.

European Commission issues new guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines

The European Commission issued new guidelines on State aid to airports and airlines on 20 February 2014, to facilitate the application of Art. 107 Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) in aviation. The aim of the new rules is to ensure the efficiency of State support, while preventing the distortion of competition through overcapacity and duplication of infrastructure. There are four main points in the guidelines.