Article 8. Liability and indemnity
In this Article, all references to:
- “the Carrier” or “the Handling Company” shall include their employees, servants, agents and subcontractors;
- “ground support equipment” shall mean all equipment used in the performance of ground handling services included in Annex A, whether fixed or mobile, and
- “act or omission” shall include negligence.
8.1 Except as stated in Sub-Article 8.5, the Carrier shall not make any claim against the Handling Company and shall indemnify it (subject as hereinafter provided) against any legal liability for claims or suits, including costs and expenses incidental thereto, in respect of:
- delay, injury or death of persons carried or to be carried by the Carrier;
- injury or death of any employee of the Carrier;
- damage to or delay or loss of baggage, cargo or mail carried or to be carried by the Carrier, and
- damage to or loss of property owned or operated by, or on behalf of, the Carrier and any consequential loss or damage;
arising from an act or omission of the Handling Company in the performance of this Agreement unless done with intent to cause damage, death, delay, injury or loss or recklessly and with the knowledge that damage, death, delay, injury or loss would probably result. PROVIDED THAT all claims or suits arising hereunder shall be dealt with by the Carrier; and PROVIDED ALSO THAT the Handling Company shall notify the Carrier of any claims or suits without undue delay and shall furnish such assistance as the Carrier may reasonably require. PROVIDED ALSO THAT where any of the services performed by the Handling Company hereunder relate to the carriage by the Carrier of passengers, baggage or cargo, then if the limitations of liability imposed by the Warsaw Convention and/or the Montreal Convention (1999) as applicable and as amended from time to time would have applied if any such act or omission had been committed by the Carrier but are held by a Court not to be applicable to such act or omission committed by the Handling Company in performing this Agreement then upon such decision of the Court the indemnity of the Carrier to the Handling Company hereunder shall be limited to an amount not exceeding the amount for which the Carrier would have been liable if it had committed such act or omission.
8.2 The Carrier shall not make any claim against the Handling Company in respect of damage, death, delay, injury or loss to third parties caused by the operation of the Carrier’s aircraft arising from an act or omission of the Handling Company in the performance of this Agreement unless done with intent to cause damage, death, delay, injury or loss or recklessly and with knowledge that damage, death, delay, injury or loss would probably result.
8.3 Notwithstanding the provisions of Sub-Article 8.1, in the case of claims arising out of surface transportation which is provided on behalf of the Carrier and is part of the operation of loading/embarking or unloading/disembarking and/or is covered by the Carrier’s Contract of Carriage, the indemnity shall not exceed the limits specified in the said Contract of Carriage. In the case of claims arising out of surface transportation which is not provided on behalf of the Carrier and/or is not part of the operation of loading/embarking or unloading/disembarking and/or is not covered by the Carrier’s Contract of Carriage, the waiver and indemnity herein contained shall not apply.
8.4 The Handling Company shall not make any claim against the Carrier and shall indemnify it (subject as hereinafter provided) against any legal liability for claims or suits, including costs and expenses incidental thereto, in respect of:
- injury to or death of any employees of the Handling Company, its servants, agents or subcontractors; and
- damage to or loss of property owned or operated by, or on behalf of, the Handling Company and any consequential loss or damage; arising from an act or omission of the Carrier in the performance of this Agreement unless done with intent to cause damage, death, delay, injury or loss or recklessly and with knowledge that damage, death, delay, injury or loss would probably result.
8.5 Notwithstanding Sub-Article 8.1(d), the Handling Company shall indemnify the Carrier against any physical loss of or damage to the Carrier’s Aircraft caused by the Handling Company’s negligent act or omission PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT the Handling Company’s liability shall be limited to any such loss of or damage to the Carrier’s Aircraft in an amount not exceeding the level of deductible under the Carrier’s Hull All Risk Policy which shall not, in any event, exceed USD 1,500,000 except that loss or damage in respect of any incident below USD 3,000 shall not be indemnified. For the avoidance of doubt, save as expressly stated, this Sub-Article 8.5 does not affect or prejudice the generality of the provisions of Sub-Article 8.1 including the principle that the Carrier shall not make any claim against the Handling Company and shall indemnify it against any liability in respect of any and all consequential loss or damage howsoever arising.