Â鶹AV

IASL Air Law Webinar Series

IASL Air Law Webinar: Law in a Rapidly Evolving Aviation Industry

  • Episode 1: An Airline Bankruptcy Case Study and Aircraft Lease Restructurings & Repossessions
  • Episode 2: Aviation Safety after the B737 MAX Case
  • Episode 3: Commercial Aviation's Evironmental Sustainability Challenges and Strategies
  • Episode 4: Machine Learning, Big Data, and AI in Aviation: Harnessing Technology, Managing Risks
  • Episode 5: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Aviation Sphere

The series is intended for a wide audience, including aviation professionals, lawyers, insolvency professionals, airline and leasing executives, regulatory authorities, academics, students, and anyone interested in commercial aviation.

We thank Alicanto, the International Association of Aviation and AerospaceĚýEducation, for its support of the series.

Each webinar is eligible for inclusion as Continuing Legal Education (CLE) hours as self-reported by members of the Quebec Bar.


Episode 5: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Aviation Sphere

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jointly organised with the International Aviation Womens Association

With the participation of leading experts in the field of aviation, this webinar will address the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the aviation industry. From the training stage of aviation professionals to their roles as leading figures in the aviation industry, diversity, equity and inclusion considerations remain central in achieving the necessary balance for a diverse aviation sphere with equal opportunities. The webinar will host two panels. The first panel - Developing the Pipeline of Diversity in Aviation Law, will focus on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in aviation law and what needs to be done to ensure success. The second panel - The Connection between Sustainability and Diversity will shift the focus towards sustainability and discuss its importance on all aviation agendas.

Invited speakers:

Panel 1: Developing the Pipeline of Diversity in Aviation Law

Scott Cutshall, SVP, Development and Sustainability, Clay Lacy Aviation

Isabella Vilhena, Legal Manager, LATAM Airlines Brasil

Martine De Serres, Managing Attorney, Customer Regulatory & Resolution, Air Canada

Panel 2: The Connection between Sustainability and Diversity

Robert Dewar, SVP, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Services & Product Policy, Airbus

Puja Mahajan, CEO and founder, Azzera.

Dominique Mathieu, VP Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Camille Sagues, Head of Environment & Sustainability Marketing, Commercial & International, Airbus.

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Moderator:

Donal Patrick Hanley, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, Â鶹AV.

Introductory remarks:

Maria Manoli, DCL (PhD), Executive Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, Â鶹AV.

To attend the webinar,


Scott Cutshall, CAM, Senior Vice President, Development and Sustainability, Clay Lacy Aviation.

Scott leads strategic development activities and directs marketing and sustainability initiatives across Clay Lacy’s diverse line of business jet services. Scott also oversees operations at our John Wayne Airport FBO in Orange County, California. He is a third-generation pilot whose business aviation expertise spans a wide spectrum of disciplines. His passion for aviation started early. Upon receiving his B.S. in business management from Biola University, he became a Certified Flight Instructor with instrument and multi-engine instruction privileges. In 2000 he began working as a dispatcher for an aircraft management and sales organization with four aircraft that grew to over 75 business jets in 25 cities in the U.S. and China. During his 14-year tenure he served as operations manager, sales director and then vice president of marketing and aircraft management. Scott joined Clay Lacy in 2013 as vice president of marketing, later serving as senior vice president of business operations prior to his current role. In 2021 he received his Corporate Aircraft Manager (CAM) certification from the National Business Aviation Association. He serves on the National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) Environmental Committee, the National Business Aviation Association Environmental Sub-Committee, the Paragon Aviation Network FBO Advisory Board, Air Elite by World Fuel Advisory Committee, and is an advocate member of the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA).


Isabella Vilhena, Legal Manager, LATAM Airlines.

Isabella is currently a Legal Manager (Contracts, Alliances, and Fleet) at LATAM Airlines (Brazil). She holds an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree in Air and Space Law (Â鶹AV, Canada). Isabella was the winner of the Constance O'Keefe Aviation Law Writing Award 2020 given by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and recipient of the 2018 International Aviation Women's Association (IAWA) Scholarship.

Isabella is a member of the Brazilian Bar Association Air Law Committee (SĂŁo Paulo) and the Brazilian Bar Association Air and Space Law Committee (Rio de Janeiro). She is also a member of the Advisory Council of WILL - Women In Leadership in Latin America ().


Martine De Serres, Managing Attorney, Customer Regulator and Resolution, Air Canada.

Martine De Serres is Managing Attorney, Customer Regulator and Resolution at Air Canada. She heads the legal department’s Customer Regulator and Resolution team, which is responsible for handing passenger litigation and for providing legal advice on consumer law, including on passenger rights, accessibility, and advertising. She joined the airline in 2007 in the regulatory and international team, where she gained experience in air carrier licensing, code sharing, environmental, constitutional and competition law.

Martine is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Â鶹AV, is a frequent contributor to conferences on aviation law and to the Â鶹AV Annals of Air and Space Law. Prior to joining Air Canada, Martine practiced commercial litigation at a reputable Montreal litigation boutique. She holds an LL.M. and B.Sc. from Â鶹AV.


Robert Dewar, Senior Vice President, A220 Customer Satisfaction, Services & Product Policy, Airbus Canada

Boasting a career of over 30 years in the aerospace industry – 25 years with Bombardier – Mr. Dewar has held several key positions in engineering and in various product development programs most recently as Vice President & General Manager, CSeries Program.

Rob was responsible to define, develop, certify and deliver the game-changing CSeries family of aircraft to market at a cost of ~$5.0 Billion. The largest aerospace development program in Canadian history.

His role was key to ensure all certication and customer requirements were met. Rob joined the CSeries aircraft program as Director of Product Definition at the very onset of the program in May 2004.

In 2010 Rob was promoted to Vice President & General Manager and was responsible for the Complete CSeries Program including Engineering & Product Development, Operations, Supply Chain and Customer Services as well as supporting International Sales Campaigns.

The CSeries now A220 is recognized as the leader in its class offering the widebody comfort in a single aisle aircraft combined with lowest operating costs, -25% fuelburn & C02 -50% Noise foot print

The launch of the CSeries was disruptive as it forced the rest of industry to further develop their aircraft by re-engining in order to compete! The net result is a net positive benefit to the industry interms passenger experience,lower operating costs and a huge benefit for the planet.

Over the last number of years, Rob has been highly recognized by the industry:

  • 2016 - James C. Floyd Award, Exceptional Contribution to Canadian Aerospace
  • 2017 - Aviation Week Laureates Award, Exceptional Contribution to Civil Aviation
  • 2019 - Air Transport World (ATW) Aviation Achievement Award
  • 2019 - CASI C.D. Howe Award For achievements in the fields of planning, policy-making and leadership in aeronautics and space in Canada
  • 2021 - JetBlue Names First Aircraft “Rob Dewar” In honour of his Ingenuity & Partnership
  • 2022 Induction into “Living Legends of Aviation”

A long time aviation enthusiast, Mr. Dewar graduated from Montreal’s Â鶹AV with a degree in Engineering, specializing in Aerospace Structures and Combustion. Mr. Dewar began his aviation career in 1986 holding key positions over the years in both a product development capacity and sustaining program capacity for major aircraft manufacturers including Airbus Industries, Alenia, and Embraer.

A native of Montréal, Québec, Mr. Dewar resides with his family in the Montréal area – where he is currently based.


Puja Mahajan, CEO & Founder, Azzera.

Puja Mahajan is an experienced C-level executive who excels in building innovative and service oriented organizations. She spent over 25 years in corporate aviation, holding positions at Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace and was most notably CEO European aircraft operator Elitavia. As Founder and CEO of Azzera her goal is to make sustainabilty effortless for her peers and clients. Azzera represents a return to the impactful work of her early career when she studied alternative fuels for fuel cells for the Canadian Department of National Defense and Ballard Power Systems in Vancouver Canada. Born in Canada, Puja is a citizen of the world, speaking 5 languages and having lived in 5 countries. Puja holds a B.Eng from Â鶹AV with a minor in environmental engineering.


Dominique Mathieu, Vice President, Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Dominique Mathieu is Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Vice President, Counsel & Corporate Secretary, leading Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Legal team including its businesses in Poland and the U.S., in the areas of legal counsel and contracts administration, as well as coordinating support and counsel on intellectual property, global trade and other compliance matters impacting the business.

She brings more than 20 years of experience to this role. She has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility since she joined Pratt & Whitney Canada in 2001. Before joining Pratt & Whitney Canada she was a lawyer at JoliCoeur Lacasse Geoffrion Jette.

Dominique holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a business certificate from the University of Sherbrooke, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montreal and just completed an EMBA from Â鶹AV/HEC Montreal where she choose gender diversity as the topic of her final paper.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units.


Camille Sagues, Head of Environment and Sustainability Marketing, Airbus

Camille Sagues is Head of Environment and Sustainability Marketing at Airbus. In her current role, Camille is responsible for promoting the Airbus decarbonisation journey, commitments and actions, including the eco-efficiency advantages of the Airbus aircraft portfolio, as well as liaising with Airbus customers on environment and sustainability at large, in line with the company purpose to pioneer sustainable aviation for a safe and united world.

Besides her experience in environment in the Commercial and International department, Camille also held an airline marketing manager position, being responsible for airlines in Europe, Africa and the Pacific.

Camille comes from an aeronautical engineering background with previous experience in the Airport operations team in Airbus, with expertise on airfield pavements.


Donal Patrick Hanley, FRAeS, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Air and Space Law, Â鶹AV.

Dr Donal Patrick Hanley is an Adjunct Professor with the Institute of Air and Space Law at Â鶹AV. He is also a non-executive director of several aircraft leasing and trading companies and an instructor in aircraft leasing and finance with the International Air Transport Association and others. He was previously managing director of the Irish operations of a large commercial aircraft leasing company and co-founded a commercial aircraft leasing company in Egypt. Qualified as a lawyer in Ireland, England and California, his career spans Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America in both international law firms and aircraft leasing companies. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, he has over thirty years of experience as an aircraft leasing and finance lawyer and has restructured leases and repossessed aircraft in many countries around the world during the course of his career as a practicing lawyer. His book on Aircraft Operating Leasing is the standard work on the law of aircraft operating leasing.


Maria Manoli, DCL (PhD) Executive Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, Â鶹AV.

Maria Manoli is the Executive Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law Â鶹AV, where she also completed her DCL (PhD). Her research focuses on space law, with emphasis on the emergence of private actors in the governance of outer space. Prior to her doctoral studies, she obtained a LL.M. in Air and Space Law from the IASL. She also holds a LL.M. in Public International Law and a LL.M. in Civil Law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in Law. Maria has published and presented extensively in the field of space law and she has worked for several governmental and intergovernmental organizations. She has often participated in international research projects in aviation and space law, and she has taught in the fields of public international law, aviation law, and space law. She is a lawyer with the Athens Bar Association of Greece.


Episode 4: Machine Learning, Big Data, and AI in Aviation: Harnessing Technology, Managing Risks

3 March 2022

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Aviation is embracing AI like never before. It is enhancing the customer experience with automation and self-service solutions, optimizing employee workflow, and ensuring better safety with predictive and prescriptive aircraft/engine maintenance and ATM—with exciting new applications in eVTOL. It allows airlines to make informed decisions about pricing and market positioning, and consumer preferences, or complaints. Do passengers have a right to transparency and privacy over the data and algorithms that are used as a potential basis to deny flight or place them in special screening and interrogation? AI is being used to help aviation make better, smarter, but what about privacy, discrimination, and liability when things go wrong?

With new rules on the horizon, and AI now enabling a future of pilotless aircraft, this Webinar will identify and discuss legal, ethical, and policy issues that arise with the collection, sharing, protection, and use of AI and Big Data.

The webinar will host interventions by our invited speakers, Ken Quinn and Kinga Kolasa-Sokolowska. The panel will be chaired by Yuri Fattah, and Prof. Ram S. Jakhu will open the session.

Link to .

Invited speakers:

Kenn Quinn, Partner, Clyde & Co LLP.

Kenneth (Ken) Quinn acts as litigation, regulatory, enforcement, antitrust, and commercial counsel to several domestic and international airlines, aerospace companies, lenders/lessors, private equity/hedge funds, online travel and social media companies, airport developers, and other aviation companies. He has represented many companies over the years on a wide variety of drone and high technology ventures. Ken has represented aircraft lenders and lessors and aircraft and engine manufacturers on regulatory, accident investigation, certification, litigation, and regulatory matters. He has represented several real estate developers in FAA airspace hazard determinations.

Some of his high-profile engagements have been representing the Japanese battery manufacturer in the grounding of B787, a British company in the acquisition and antitrust immunity request for an Irish airline, a Japanese airline in a $7.0B airport development project, an infrastructure fund in the first use of FAA’s private partnership program of LMM in San Juan, PR, a social media company in a high-altitude drone project, a Silicon Valley all-electric VTOL certification, an inspection company in the first nighttime drone exemption, a major airline in litigation over gate access at Love Field, the airport security screening companies after 9/11, the OEM in the crash of AA587, the maintenance company in the ValuJet 592 crash, Virgin America in its certification and litigation, two of the largest US cities on international air service, slots, and competition, and the US Department of Transportation in the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the creation of PFCs.

Ken’s experience also includes his positions as General Counsel & Secretary of the Flight Safety Foundation (1993 – present), Chief Counsel of the US Federal Aviation Administration (1991-93), counselor to the US Secretary of Transportation (1989-91), and senior advisor to the US Office of the President-Elect (1988). He was named a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1997, serves on the Board and as counsel to its DC Branch, and has served on the RAeS Membership Services Board in London, England, since 2012. Ken has served on the Board (2012-16) and as President of the International Aviation Club (2015-16). He was Chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Air & Space Law (1994-96), serves on its Executive Committee (1994-present), and was Editor-in-Chief of the ABA’s The Air & Space Lawyer publication for 13 years.

Kinga Kolasa-Sokolowska, Client Advisor, Marsh Broker Japan.

Kinga Kolasa-Sokolowska is an aviation insurance professional and her interest focuses on contractual risk management, emerging risks and advanced technologies in the aviation industry.

Kinga is a Client Advisor at Marsh Broker Japan in Tokyo with responsibility for contract advisory and a review and issuance of insurance and reinsurance certification for aviation and aerospace clients. She is also a lecturer at the College of Law and Politics at Rikkyo University in Tokyo.

Kinga comes from a varied background that includes legal, broking and academic experience.

Kinga holds a Master Degree in Law from the University of Warsaw (2012, Poland) and has specialized in aviation insurance for the last 8 years. Prior to moving to Japan in 2018, she worked at Marsh Poland in Warsaw, at THB Poland, at CEU - Lloyd’s coverholder, as well as at UNIQA in Poland. Aside from her roles in the insurance industry, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Institute of Air and Space Law at Â鶹AV and a Researcher for the 2014 Space Security Index Report in Montreal. Having received the Â鶹AV’s Graduate Research Mobility Award she investigated insurance implications of 9/11 during a study visit in New York City. She presented on aviation insurance and risks related matters at a number of conferences, including the International Conference on the Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence Across Industries at Kingston University, London; the Â鶹AV Conference on International Aviation Liability and Insurance in Montreal, and the Airport Law Conference organized by Worldwide Airport Lawyer’s Association in Athens.

Kinga has authored a chapter “Artificial intelligence and risk preparedness in the aviation industry” in the “Routledge Research in the Law of Emerging Technologies: Regulating Artificial Intelligence in Industry” ed. D.M. Bielicki (2021).

Moderator:

Yuri Fattah, Programme Manager Multidisciplinary Priorities, Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO.

Yuri Fattah, Programme Manager of Multidisciplinary Priorities, in the Air Navigation Bureau of ICAO, currently works, together with other colleagues, on Commercial Space, Operations above FL600, AI, and other issues on the leading edge of the aviation sector. He also has less exciting, but equally important, administrative and management duties in support of the Air Navigation Bureau. He serves as secretary to the ICAO Learning Group on Commercial Space Transport, and served as coordinator of the 2019 ICAO Innovation Fair, as well as the 2020 Global Symposium on the Implementation of Innovation in Aviation.

Introductory remarks:

Prof. Ram S. Jakhu, Full Professor, IASL, Â鶹AV

Prof Ram Jakhu teaches and conducts research in international space law, law of space applications, law of space commercialization, space security, national regulation of space activities, and public international law. For over two decades, he has been providing consultation to several private and governmental entities and drafting national laws and regulations in various countries. Prof Ram Jakhu is the Project Director of the Â鶹AV Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS). He is also the Editor-in-Chief & Project Director of Â鶹AV Encyclopedia of International Space Law. He served as the first director of the Master of Space Studies Program of International Space University.

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Episode 3: Commercial Aviation's Evironmental Sustainability Challenges and Strategies

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14 January 2022
1000-1200hrs EST

Online via Zoom

The webinar will tackle the following theme: For over a century, commercial aviation has done more to turn our planet into a true, connected global village than any other industry or mode of transport in the history of humankind. In so doing, it also directly supported worldwide economic development, trade and commerce, as well as tens of millions of jobs in travel and tourism. However, commercial aviation also generates carbon emissions in significant quantities, and thus must squarely address its impact on global climate change and be highly proactive in developing and implementing mitigating strategies to this end. What are the continuing challenges in this respect? What has the industry achieved to date and what more needs to be done in order to ensure that it remains part of the solution and not the problem? Apart from lofty rhetoric and "green" taxation initiatives that often only generate receipts for central treasuries and do nothing to mitigate climate change, what do governments need to do to really put their "money where their mouths are..." regarding climate change?

Invited Speakers
• Jonathon Counsell, Group Head, Sustainability, International Airlines Group (IAG)
• Haldane Dodd, Acting Executive Director Air Transport Action Group (ATAG)
• Tim Johnson, Director, Aviation Environment Federation (AEF)

Introductory remarks
Prof Ram S Jakhu, Full Professor & Acting Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, Â鶹AV

Moderator
George Petsikas, Sessional Lecturer, Institute of Air and Space Law, Faculty of Law, Â鶹AV

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Jonathon CounsellĚý
Group Head, Sustainability, International Airlines Group (IAG)

Jonathon Counsell is the Group Head of Sustainability for the International Airlines Group, appointed in July 2015, with responsibility for the group sustainability strategy across the Groups’ five airlines Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level and Vueling.

Jonathon was also appointed the Chair of the International Airline Transport Association Environment Committee in 2015, and in June 2017, was re-selected as Chair. In 2013, Jonathon took over the Chair of Sustainable Aviation, the leading UK aviation industry consortium of airlines, airports, manufacturers and UK Air Traffic Control authority driving improvements in the sustainability performance of the sector.

Jonathon was previously British Airways’ Head of Environment, appointed in December 2007 with responsibility for developing and implementing BA’s strategy on all issues relating to the Environment including Climate Change, Air Quality, Noise and Waste. He joined the airline in October 1999 where he was appointed General Manager of Procurement Strategy with responsibility for developing and implementing the strategy to deliver BA’s Procurement function to best practice performance.

Prior to working at BA, Jonathon worked in a number of positions in the airline industry most recently as General Manager, Strategy at Air New Zealand which included responsibilities for developing the airline’s network and alliance strategy. Jonathon is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College and has an MBA from INSEA, Fontainebleau, France. In 2019 Jonathon undertook the Financial Times Diploma for Non-Executive Directors.

Jonathon is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Board Member of the Greener By Design Partnership.


Haldane Dodd
Acting Executive Director, Air Transport Action Group (ATAG)

Haldane Dodd is Acting Executive Director at the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group. This organisation, the only global grouping of players from across the aviation industry, brings together airports, airlines, air navigation service providers and aircraft and engine manufacturers to agree common goals. Its current mission is to provide a platform through which the aviation sector is working to reduce its climate change impact. ATAG works with funding members ACI, IATA, CANSO, Airbus, Boeing, GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, Safran and CFM to ensure aviation is able to respond to global decarbonisation and sustainability objectives.

Previously, Haldane was head of communications and advocacy at ATAG and communications manager with Airports Council International world headquarters where he worked on issues such as the environment, security and airport economics. A British native, Haldane also holds New Zealand citizenship and started his aviation career at the listed company Auckland International Airport Limited, which runs New Zealand’s busiest airport. He has a background in broadcast media and holds a Bachelor of Communications Studies.


Tim Johnson
Director, Aviation Environment Federation (AEF)

Tim is the Director of the UK-based Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), an NGO campaigning on aviation’s impacts for people and the environment. He is a lead representative for the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA) at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), where he has co-led CAEP’s expert group responsible for developing the emission unit eligibility criteria for CORSIA, and continues to lead the support group for ICAO’s carbon emissions calculator. In the UK, he is a member of the Department for Transport’s newly created Jet Zero Council.


Moderator

George Petsikas
Sessional Lecturer Faculty of Law, Â鶹AV

George Petsikas was born and lives in Montreal. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the UniversitĂ© de Sherbrooke in 1987, and subsequently his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in air and space law from Â鶹AV. He has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1988.

From 1990 to 2021, George worked at Transat A.T., Canada’s largest integrated holiday travel company and leisure airline. He was the member of senior management responsible for corporate government relations in the 40 countries worldwide where the company operated, as well as for issues relating to aviation law, policy and regulation, bilateral / multilateral air transport negotiations, market access liberalization, immigration / border entry management, user fees / charges, airports policy / governance, climate change and global airline industry relations.

From 2008 to 2011, George assumed the role of founding president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, the trade organization representing Canada’s largest commercial airlines including Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz and Westjet. In April 2009, he co-founded Canada’s National Roundtable on Travel and Tourism. In June 2019, he was appointed as a member, and subsequently elected as the first chairman of IATA’s Industry Affairs Advisory Council (the first Canadian to undertake this role in IATA’s history). In the autumn of 2021, George was appointed as a sessional lecturer in air and space law at Â鶹AV’s Faculty of law.

George is a past chairman of the Canadian Bar Association’s Air and Space Law section, as well as of the Air Transport Association of Canada’s Legal Committee. He has also served as chairman of Toronto-Lester B. Pearson International Airport’s Airline Consultative Committee (ACC) and has been a member of numerous federal and provincial aviation policy advisory committees.

George is married and has two teenage sons. He enjoys travelling, cycling, Glenmorangie Scotch and premium Cuban cigars.

Introductory remarks

Prof Ram Jakhu
Full Professor and Acting Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, Â鶹AV

Prof Ram Jakhu teaches and conducts research in international space law, law of space applications, law of space commercialization, space security, national regulation of space activities, and public international law. For over two decades, he has been providing consultation to several private and governmental entities and drafting national laws and regulations in various countries. Prof Ram Jakhu is the Project Director of the Â鶹AV Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS). He is also the Editor-in-Chief & Project Director of Â鶹AV Encyclopedia of International Space Law. He served as the first director of the Master of Space Studies Program of International Space University.


Episode 2: Aviation Safety after the B737 MAX Case

5 November 2021, 10:00-12:00

The B737 MAX accidents, the ensuing congressional investigations and the consequent lawsuits have had a major impact on aircraft airworthiness certification and on aviation safety, not only in the US but also globally. The webinar examined and discussed related issues, including how the B737 MAX case may help improve aviation safety in the future. The webinar hosted presentations by our two invited speakers, Dr John Maris and Mr Tommaso Sgobba, which we have shared below. The webinar was followed by comments from Mr Bryan DeCouto. Discussion and a Q&A session concluded the webinar. We thank Prof Ludwig Weber for moderating the panel and Ms Maria Manoli for opening the proceedings.

To contact our webinar participants:

  • John Maris (speaker): john.maris [at] certcentercanada.com
  • Tommaso Sgobba (speaker): iaass.president [at] gmail.com
  • Bryan De Couto (commentator): BDecouto [at] icao.int
  • Ludwig Weber (moderator): ludwig.weber [at] mcgill.ca
  • Maria Manoli (introductory remarks): maria.manoli [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Eligible for inclusion as 2 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) as self-reported by members of the Quebec Bar.

Bios of our speakers and respondents

John Maris, President, Cert Center Canada

Dr John Maris is the President of Cert Center Canada and its US affiliate Advanced Aerospace Solutions, NASA’s 2015 Agency-wide subcontractor of the year. Maris has Transport Canada, FAA, and UK Airline Transport Pilot licenses, with multiple type-ratings including the Boeing 747-200 “classic.” John is a Transport Canada test pilot delegate, and a practicing aeronautical engineer with a PhD in Aviation Safety and Human Factors. Maris is an Associate Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute and of the Royal Aeronautical Society (he currently chairs the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Montreal branch). Maris is an Aviation Week and Space Technology Laureate, a recipient of Canada’s oldest aeronautical prize, the Trans-Canada (McKee) trophy, and an inductee of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Tommaso Sgobba, Executive Director & Board Secretary, International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety

Tommaso Sgobba is Executive Director and Board Secretary of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS). Until 2013 Tommaso Sgobba was head of the Independent Safety Office at the European Space Agency (ESA), including human-rated systems, spacecraft re-entries, space debris, use of nuclear power sources, and planetary protection. He joined the European Space Agency in 1989, after 13 years in the aeronautical industry. Tommaso Sgobba holds an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the Polytechnic of Turin (Italy). He received the NASA recognition for outstanding contribution to the International Space Station in 2004, the NASA Space Flight Awareness (SFA) Award in 2007, and the Henry L Taylor Founder’s Award of the AsHFA in 2019.

Commentator

Bryan DeCouto, Technical Officer, Certification & Oversight, ICAO Air Navigation Bureau, Operations section; ICAO secretary, Instrument Flight Procedures Panel

Bryan DeCouto is the Technical Officer, Certification and Oversight at ICAO within the Air Navigation Bureau (ANB) Operations section and is the ICAO secretary of the Instrument Flight Procedures Panel. Before joining ICAO permanently in September 2021, Bryan was seconded to ICAO ANB from January 2017 until March 2020 and during this time led the implementation of the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Oversight System (GASOS) programme as well as the ICAO runway safety programme. From March 2020 until recently, Bryan worked for the United Kingdom delegation to ICAO as a technical expert supporting the ICAO Air Navigation Commission work programme. Bryan was an airworthiness safety inspector for the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority for over 10 years, performing regulatory oversight, surveillance and certification activities of international air operators. Bryan is a licensed FAA Airframe & Powerplant maintenance engineer and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology as well as a Master’s in Aviation Safety from ENAC in Toulouse, France.

Moderator:

Prof Ludwig Weber, Senior Legal Adviser, ICAO; Adjunct Professor, Â鶹AV.

From 1982 to 1995, Legal Counsel of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Geneva/Montreal, responsible for aviation and European law, competition and anti-trust law issues. From 1995 to 2004, Director of the Legal Bureau of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Montreal, responsible inter alia, for the modernization of the Warsaw Convention System on air carrier liability, resulting in the adoption of the Montreal Convention of 1999, and the development of the Capetown Convention and Protocol of 2001. From 2004 to 2017 Senior Civil Aviation Policy and Management Adviser to ICAO on a number of ICAO projects and programmes, including the establishment of the new International Registry for aircraft equipment, the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia-Pacific and other international projects. From 2017 to 2019, Senior Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. Since 2019, Senior Legal Adviser to ICAO. Chairman of the Board, International Foundation for Aviation and Development; he has lectured and published widely and is a member of numerous professional associations.

Introductory remarks

Maria Manoli, Executive Director and Doctoral Candidate, IASL, Â鶹AV

Ms Maria Manoli is the Executive Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law Â鶹AV, where she is also completing her DCL (PhD). Her research focuses on space law, with emphasis on the emergence of private actors in the governance of outer space. Prior to her doctoral studies, she obtained a LL.M. in Air and Space Law from Â鶹AV. She also holds a LL.M. in Public International Law and a LL.M. in Civil Law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in Law. Maria has published and presented extensively in the field of space law and she has worked for several governmental and intergovernmental organizations, such as the Greek representation to ICAO and European Commission’s Single European Sky. She has often participated in international research projects in aviation and space law, and she has taught in the fields of public international law, aviation law, and space law. She is a lawyer with the Athens Bar Association of Greece. Maria is the 2021 IAWA scholarship recipient for Â鶹AV.



Episode 1: An Airline Bankruptcy Case Study and Aircraft Lease Restructurings & Repossessions

2 October 2021, 10:00-12:00

With the backdrop of COVID-19, this episode will address practical issues from both airline and lessor perspectives on an airline bankruptcy case study and restructurings & aircraft repossessions. Considering the effects of COVID-19 on the industry, airlines have faced an unprecedented situation, with lessors finding themselves largely unable to deploy their usual tools. Looking to the future, as the industry seeks to recover, what approaches should an airline take if it faces difficulty in meeting its contractual commitments? What can lessors expect in terms of repossession, whether on a voluntary or involuntary basis?

Our speakers have extensive and in-depth experience at a senior level from both sides of the table. The webinar will take the form of a discussion between our invited experts, Gautam Acharya and Donal Patrick Hanley, which will be followed by a Q&A session. Prof. Ram S Jakhu will open the session and Maria Manoli will moderate the discussion.

Eligible for inclusion as 2 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) as self-reported by members of the Quebec Bar.

Bios of our speakers and respondents

Mr Gautam Acharya, Vice President - Aircraft Leasing, Human Resources, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, Jet Airways (India)

Gautam Acharya is an aviation/airline maven having specialized in commercial aviation for most of his adult life. He is qualified to practice law in India and the UK, after obtaining a master of laws degree specialized in air & space laws (Institute of Air and Space Law, Â鶹AV, 2005). His work experience spans three continents, having worked in Canada, the UK, Sweden, Hong Kong and India. For the last 13 years he has been with Jet Airways (India) Limited and has managed multiple portfolios ranging from aircraft leasing & contracts to regulatory affairs to law. Over the last 2+ years he has worked closely with the court appointed Administrator and has been pivotal to help Jet Airways successfully emerge from a corporate insolvency resolution process. His assiduous efforts are now in the direction of getting Jet Airways off the ground like the metaphorical phoenix.

Dr Donal Patrick Hanley, FRAeS, Adjunct Professor, IASL, Â鶹AV

Dr Donal Patrick Hanley is an Adjunct Professor with the Institute of Air and Space Law at Â鶹AV. He is also a non-executive director of several aircraft leasing and trading companies and an instructor in aircraft leasing and finance with the International Air Transport Association and others. He was previously managing director of the Irish operations of a large commercial aircraft leasing company and co-founded a commercial aircraft leasing company in Egypt. Qualified as a lawyer in Ireland, England and California, his career spans Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America in both international law firms and aircraft leasing companies. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, he has over thirty years of experience as an aircraft leasing and finance lawyer and has restructured leases and repossessed aircraft in many countries around the world during the course of his career as a practicing lawyer. His book on Aircraft Operating Leasing is the standard work on the law of aircraft operating leasing.

Dr Ram Jakhu, Associate Professor and Acting Director, IASL, Â鶹AV (Introductory remarks)

Prof Ram Jakhu teaches and conducts research in international space law, law of space applications, law of space commercialization, space security, national regulation of space activities, and public international law. For over two decades, he has been providing consultation to several private and governmental entities and drafting national laws and regulations in various countries. Prof Ram Jakhu is the Project Director of the Â鶹AV Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS). He is also the Editor-in-Chief & Project Director of Â鶹AV Encyclopedia of International Space Law. He served as the first director of the Master of Space Studies Program of International Space University.

Ms. Maria Manoli, Executive Director and Doctoral Candidate, IASL, Â鶹AV (Moderator)

Maria Manoli is the Executive Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law Â鶹AV, where she is also completing her DCL (PhD). Her research focuses on space law, with emphasis on the emergence of private actors in the governance of outer space. Prior to her doctoral studies, she obtained a LL.M. in Air and Space Law from Â鶹AV. She also holds a LL.M. in Public International Law and a LL.M. in Civil Law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in Law. Maria has published and presented extensively in the field of space law and she has worked for several governmental and intergovernmental organizations. She has often participated in international research projects in aviation and space law, and she has taught in the fields of public international law, aviation law, and space law. She is a lawyer with the Athens Bar Association of Greece.

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