Air carrier liability in case of air accidents

The Committee adopted the report of Antonio GONZALEZ TRIVINO (Sp, ERA) on a Council Regulation on air carrier liability in case of accidents. The Committee gave the green light for improving the level of insurance protection of passengers on board a Community air carrier. Hitherto, air carrier liability has been covered by the provisions of the 1929 Warsaw Convention, which fixed liability at $10.000. The proposal aims: - to wave all financial limits of liability where the airline is at fault; - to impose a strict level of liability up to the equivalent of 100.000 Special Drawing Rights (approx. 120.000 ECUs) even if the carrier did all it could to avoid the accident; - to lay down provision for advance (hardship) payments to victims and - to oblige non-Community carriers to inform passengers on their conditions of carriage at the time of purchase of the ticket. �