Aviation in Belgium
GDS Advocaten
Kennedys
The 'dynamic' and 'forward-looking' aviation team at Kennedys fields a number of first-rate sector experts. Practice head Dimitri De Bournonville is 'a great practitioner', 'intellectually brilliant' and 'stands out as one of the star practitioners in the aviation market in Belgium and the Benelux region'. Associates Dries Deschuttere and Kim Verhaeghe are also names to note in the group, for whom passenger claims disputes have been a recent driver of activity. Associate Charlotte Thijssen left the firm in April 2020 to join GKN Aerospace.
Practice head(s):
Dimitri De Bournonville
Other key lawyers:
Dries Deschuttere; Kim Verhaeghe
Testimonials
‘The team is very approachable‘.
‘They combine regulatory, commercial and litigation capabilities, which make them rather unique in the local market‘.
‘Dimitri de Bournonville is a true specialist and leader in his field, with over 25 years of professional experience. He remains very approachable and someone with whom we as clients sincerely enjoy interacting with, to explore ideas out of the box and under all angles, yet in a pragmatic way‘.
Key clients
Ace Belgian Freighters
ACE Cargo
Air Belgium
AIG
ASL Airlines Belgium
ASL Aviation Group
Aviabel
Avolon
BH Air
CAL Cargo Airlines
Delvag
Etihad Airways
Finnair
HungaroControl
Iberia
LOT Polish Airlines
Luxair
Macquarie Air Finance
Norddeutsche Landesbank
Ryanair
Shannon Engine Support
Swiss International Airlines
TOLL Group
Vueling
Work highlights
- Acting for Ryanair in various ongoing litigations before the Belgian and French courts, including passenger rights claims for delay and cancellation and claims of alleged injuries.
- Assisting Air Belgium with negotiating strategic aircraft charter agreements for importing masks and other medical equipment into the EU in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Representing Vueling Airlines in litigation concerning passenger claims and seizure of assets.
Erkelens Law
Erkelens Law houses a 'very result-oriented' team with 'a very thorough understanding of the aviation market'. Contentious work is a key strength for the group, which is well-versed in handling noise infringement matters. Practice head Catherine Erkelens is 'the driving force of the firm; she has deep knowledge of the industry and is incredibly pragmatic, easy to work with, responsive and a flexible thinker'. Associate Stéphane De Schutter is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Catherine Erkelens
Other key lawyers:
Stéphane De Schutter
Testimonials
‘The team are very good litigators‘.
‘The firm combines aviation knowledge with genuine pragmatism‘.
‘Catherine Erkelens fights for the clients and obtains results. She has a very sharp eye, immediately sees and understands the issues and knows how to efficiently deal with it‘.
‘Catherine Erkelens is an outstanding lawyer‘.
Key clients
Deutsche Lufthansa
Austrian Airlines
Swiss International Airlines
Thai Airways
Flightlease
Air Cargo Global
Airport Coordination
KF Aerospace
SAT Swiss Aviation
All Nippon Airways
ICTS
European Commission
Amerijet
CEAG
Aviatize
Work highlights
- Assisting US cargo airline Amerijet with the development of its operations in the EU.
- Acting for KF Aerospace in ongoing noise standards infringement proceedings.
- Representing Aviatize in a challenge to a decision regarding drones legislation.
HFW
HFW's practice, which is led by Pierre Frühling, is very well-versed in assisting airlines with a broad spectrum of EU and non-EU-related work, including litigation, regulatory and transactional matters. In October 2020 Yasmin Bhatti joined Amazon as corporate aviation counsel, while in February 2021 Stéphanie Golinvaux moved to AdaStone Law.
Practice head(s):
Pierre Frühling
Key clients
Abelag-Luxaviation
Aeromexico
Aeroservices
Aircalin
Air Canada
Air Corsica
Allianz AGCS
All Nippon Airways
Arkia Israeli Airlines
AXAXL
Cargo Air
Cargolux
Cathay Pacific
Corsair
Delta Air Lines
Delvag
El Al
Global Aerospace
Hi Fly (Portugal)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
La Réunion Aérienne
LATAM
Liege Airport
TUI Airlines Belgium
Vietnam Airlines
Wizz Air
XL Catlin
Work highlights
- Advising Delta Air Lines on various European Union policies and regulations issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including restrictions on access to European territory.
- Acting for Abelag-Luxaviation in an ongoing legal challenge raised before the Belgian Council of State against the public tender for the carriage of the Belgian Royal Family, the Belgian Government and the European Union VVIP.
- Acting for Liege Airport in relation to the seizure of two Boeing 747 aircrafts operated by Air Cargo Global (Slovakia) in relation to litigation between Liege Airport and Air Cargo Global.
Allen & Overy LLP
Allen & Overy LLP's practice houses 'a team of experts', which 'shares the same team spirit' and has established strengths in environment, litigation and public law matters. The group continues to represent various carriers in ongoing noise limitation infringement proceedings. Werner Eyskens is the key contact.
Practice head(s):
Werner Eyskens
CMS
Led by Annabelle Lepièce, CMS' department stands out as 'the leading practice for aviation state aid matters at EU level'. The 'insightful and well-connected' team has expertise in acting for airlines and airports, with competition law-related investigations forming a notable part of the group's workload.
Practice head(s):
Annabelle Lepièce
Testimonials
‘Annabelle Lepièce stands out for her expertise in aviation state aid matters – advising airlines and airports on groundbreaking developments. She is well respected by the European Commission and in the aviation industry‘.
Key clients
Airport Council International (ACI)
Cluj Napoca Airport
SOWAER
Brussels Airlines
Lyon Airport
Marseille Airport
Aeroports de Catalunya
Montpellier Airport
Belairbus
Qatar Airways
French Airports Association
Luxair
LEM Oostende – Antwerpen
Béziers Airport
Region Occitanie
Tahiti Airport
Groupe 3S
Work highlights
- Assisting SOWAER with the notification to the European Commission of an aid scheme, a deferral of the payment of concession fees owed by the Walloon Charleroi and Liège airports to support the operators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Representing Béziers Airport in an investigation brought by the European Commission concerning alleged aid granted to Ryanair regarding marketing contracts exchanged between the client and Ryanair.
- Acts for Luxair in a broad range of competition law matters.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper's practice, which is jointly led by Ilse Van de Mierop and Bob Martens, is highly prominent in litigation. On the non-contentious side, the team advises clients on regulatory issues and restructurings. Counsel Charles Dumont de Chassart is another key figure in the group.
Practice head(s):
Bob Martens; Ilse Van de Mierop
Other key lawyers:
Charles Dumont de Chassart
Testimonials
‘Charles Dumont de Chassart is open minded, and demonstrates rigour, pragmatism, reactivity and flexibility‘.
Key clients
Sabena Aerospace
SABCA
Skeyes
Jet2.com
Aegean Airlines
Emirates Airlines
European Commission DG Climate Action
Work highlights
- Advised Sabena Aerospace on the formation of Blueberry, a new aerospace group; SABCA was subsequently purchased by Blueberry.
- Representing Skeyes in ongoing litigation following air traffic services disruption, involving disputes with air traffic controllers.
KADRANT LAW
The aviation team at KADRANT LAW is 'responsive to clients' needs' and garners praise for its 'practical approach'. The group has been kept busy with handling instructions related to restructuring, leasing and aircraft financing matters. Giulia Mauri is 'totally dedicated to the industry and understands the challenges that airlines and business aviation companies face'; she shares leadership of the practice with Frédérique Jos.
Practice head(s):
Giulia Mauri; Frédérique Jos
Testimonials
‘Giulia Mauri and Frédérique Jos are very experienced aviation lawyers with a wealth of industry knowledge and a great network. They come across as pragmatic and commercially minded counsel‘.
‘Giulia Mauri is one of the best aviation lawyers in the industry‘.