Aer Lingus has won a lawsuit against the Airports Authority of India (AAI) over unpaid landing charges, securing €109,983 despite never operating flights to India.
The case revolves around two Boeing 737s leased to the now-defunct East-West Airlines, which went into liquidation in 1996, prompting Aer Lingus to seek legal action to reclaim its aircraft.
After a lengthy legal process lasting nearly 30 years, a recent ruling from the Bombay Civil Court determined that AAI had no legal grounds to charge Aer Lingus, establishing an important precedent in aviation law.
The resolution of this case involved significant complexities, including the establishment of a bank guarantee to release the aircraft, which ultimately returned to Dublin and was sold to another lessor.
