John Balfour
Partner, London
Recent experience
- Acting for British Airways in the challenge brought by Guernsey to its exchange of slots at Heathrow with Air UK.
- Acting for IATA in challenging EC Regulation 2027/97 on air carrier liability, and also EC Regulation 261/2004 on denied boarding, cancellation and delay, the latter before the European Court of Justice.
- Acting for BA, Virgin and Lufthansa in the action brought by ABTA in connection with separating out passenger service charges on airline tickets.
- Making a major (and successful) complaint to the European Commission about state aid to a flag carrier airline.
- Acting for various airlines at UK CAA public hearings, including for KLM in connection with an application by Heathrow Airport to limit the number of authorised third party ground handlers at Heathrow.
- Acting for Air New Zealand against Manchester Airport’s handling company in respect of damage to one of its aircraft, resulting in a rare successful recovery against a handling company.
- Conducting or participating in eleven studies on aviation subjects for the European Commission (including in particular the study on airlines’ conditions of carriage and the EC unfair terms directive, leading to the so-called “Balfour Report”).
- Giving evidence and advice to House of Commons and House of Lords Committees on EC aviation matters.
- Issues concerning slots, including acting for airlines involved in some 15 transactions involving slots at Heathrow.
- Acting for one of the airlines involved in the EC competition enquiry into cargo surcharges.