About

Supporting one of the largest aviation associations, the Swiss legal team of the IATA is made up of six lawyers based in Geneva. The legal service department is responsible for ensuring the organisation’s compliance, advising on business activities and overseeing all litigation in which IATA is involved. In addition, due to IATA’s nature as a membership organisation, the legal services department undertakes initiatives for the immediate benefit of IATA’s members and the entire international aviation industry, including conducting investigations into legal issues common to all members, intervening on behalf of the industry in regulatory matters, judicial, and legislative proceedings, working on international treaty matters, and developing legal arguments in support of IATA’s lobbying initiatives. The team has been central in setting the strategic direction of legal matters for the aviation industry globally and over the last two years has been liaising with the IATA membership to find new and innovative ways to remove commercial barriers and making the industry more competitive. Recently, IATA became a formal complainant on behalf of its airline members in the European commission’s investigation into monopolistic practices in aircraft aftermarket for parts, services and repairs, a case that was recently nominated as behavioral matter of the year by the Global Competition review. ‘This is an area of deep concern for our members, and accounts for approximately $64bn per year. There are few equipment vendors and our members are frustrated that there is little flexibility in negotiations for aftermarket services’ says assistant general counsel, Daniel Kanter.