More than 100 aviation industry experts present
The Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) was very pleased to see the inaugural The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation Conference be a great success in The Hague last week! As a centre of excellence, The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation Conference brought together and connected over 100 aviation industry experts and dispute-resolution specialists from around the world. There was a lot to learn from each other!
Arbitration Rules tailored to the aviation industry
As the principal drafter, the NAI was closely involved in drafting a set of specialised, efficient and transparent 2023 HagueCAA Arbitration Rules. To be able to see the uptake by the different panels throughout the day on the substance of our rules was truly inspiring. Aviation industry experts underscored unequivocally the need for quick and effective decisions on complex cross-border disputes in aviation and added value arbitration plays in that spectrum. Features such as emergency arbitration, in case of urgent interim relief, but also party autonomy when it comes to choosing the right arbitrators in case of complex disputes and confidentiality were raised and underscored several times as much-needed features in coming to the right and effective answers quickly and diligently.
Insightful panel discussions
Our President, Gerard Meijer, spoke about The Netherlands as a Centre of Excellence in Specialized Arbitration and Mediation. During his speech, he informed the international delegates about the ADR landscape in the Netherlands. Our Secretary General, Camilla Perera- de Wit, moderated an insightful panel which covered 360 Degrees of Key Aviation Cases. The panel, which followed the life cycle of an airplane, delved into the types of disputes that can arise at each stage of such a life cycle, the current (dispute resolution) practice, the surrounding case law and how Hague CAA arbitration offers a unique, technical and specialized forum for dispute resolution.
Furthermore, we learned from key industry figures about the (future) developments in the global aviation industry and more about the evolving role and significance of commercial and investor-state arbitration and mediation in aviation.
We thank profusely the International Institute for Air and Space Law of Leiden University as well as the Municipality of The Hague for graciously hosting the event.
