Overview
AVIATION LAW EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITY
The field of Aviation Law is as interesting as it is diverse. Aviation Law ranges from commercial aircraft leasing transactions to litigation. Armstrongs has been privileged to have been given instructions relating to much of this field.
John Carr-Hartley acted in the very first aircraft accident review proceedings undertaken in Botswana. Because there was no precedent for these types of proceedings, this required learning and understanding the legislation, requirements, procedures and evidence needed from scratch. The knowledge gained by this has proved invaluable in subsequent years.
Since the first aircraft accident review, John Carr-Hartley has received a number of mandates in relation to aviation generally. These include:
- Counsel in litigation in the successful defence of a claim by American Tourists following a piston-driven aircraft that was involved in an accident that occurred in the Kasane region;
- Counsel for the Plaintiff (the aircraft owner and operator) in litigation against an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation concerning the question of whether required maintenance had been carried out and, if not, whether the failure to undertake the maintenance led to a fatal accident of a turbine driven aircraft the Okavango region;
- Appointed as an Expert on Botswana Aviation Law and providing advice to Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas, USA on liability for aircraft accidents under Botswana Law in relation to the above accident;
- Drafting and preparation of two Airstrip Use Agreements and associated Indemnities for two different clients;
- Drafting and preparation of two Agreements for the purchase and sale of two rotary aircraft;
- Drafting and preparation of a purchase and sale Agreement for the sale of a Cessna 206 aircraft (mandate from a fellow attorney).
Present and past Aviation Law related clients include:
- Mack Air (Pty) Limited, the largest air charter company in Botswana, operates some 17 Cessna Caravan 208B aircraft;
- Moremi Air (Pty) Limited
- Helicopter Horizons
- Belmond Safaris
- Sanctuary Retreats
- Chobe Holdings Limited.
