Flying in the Face of Criminalization: Navigating Personal and Corporate Liability in Aviation

Flying in the Face of Criminalization examines the critical intersection between aviation safety investigations and criminal proceedings. This comprehensive analysis reveals how the legal system’s punitive approach often conflicts with aviation’s core objective of learning from mistakes to enhance safety. The new edition significantly expands coverage through 2025, documenting the increase in litigation against aviation professionals and organizations following accidents and serious incidents. It provides crucial insights into recent developments in corporate criminal liability, manslaughter charges, and corporate homicide cases that have transformed accountability standards across the industry. With an unparalleled collection of cases from January 2010 to June 2025, with updates to the Boeing 737 MAX and AF 447 litigation until 30 November 2025, the book explores how varying legal systems worldwide apply liability principles inconsistently and create uncertainty for aviation professionals operating across jurisdictions. A diverse audience will benefit from this book, including legal professionals, aviation consultants, pilots, air traffic controllers, safety officers, airline managers, and accident investigators.