GKN Westland Helicopters Ltd and Anr v Korean Air; Press Tech Controls Ltd v Korean Air - QBD (Com Ct) (Morison J) - 19 May 2003

Costs - Carriage of goods by air - Warsaw Convention - Owners of goods destroyed in aircraft accident claiming against air carrier - Carrier admitting claims and offering to pay up to limit of liability - Article 22(4) precluding recovery by claimant of court costs in certain circumstances where claimant’s award of damages fails to beat amount previously offered by carrier

On 22 December 1999 there was an accident involving the defendant’s B747 aircraft near Stanstead Airport. As a result of the accident, cargo on board the aircraft was destroyed. The claimants in the first action lost a helicopter gearbox weighing 636kgs. The claimants in the second action lost six packages containing printing press equipment, with a total weight of 959kgs.