The Montreal Convention: A First Impression

The Montreal Convention markedly changed the rules governing the international carriage by air of passenger, baggage and cargo. The introduction of a considerable number of modernized major elements including electric ticketing system, the unlimited passenger liability regime and a supplementary (fifth) jurisdiction should help to remove aged scheme that now exists in the Warsaw Convention and other related instruments. The key issue of the electric ticketing system recognized by the Convention IS how to describe reasonably and adequately the terms of written notices, in the light of the principle of consumer protection. Regarding liability regime for passengers, an unlimited passenger liability regime is realized. The carrier, in the first tier, is subject to a strict liability regime of up to 100,000 SDRs, and in the second tire, a regime of presumed fault liability without numerical liability limits. To add to the present four fora, the fifth forum is permitted. Regarding damage resulting the death or injury of a passenger, an action for damages may also be brought in its home territory with the considerably qualified narrow requirements. A strange deviation from the well-established "Procedure for Approval of Draft Convention" carried out by the Legal Committee left a considerable number of unrefined and incomplete passages. In the near future, their modification should be required.