✦ Plain-English Summary

Aviation Legislation Amendment (Liability and Insurance) 2020

What it does

This law updates how much money airlines and the government have to pay out if something goes wrong in an aircraft accident. It syncs up the liability limits across different aviation laws so they're all consistent with each other, and it clarifies what situations airlines don't have to pay for.

Why it matters

If you're in a plane accident, these liability limits cap how much compensation you or your family can claim. This bill modernises those caps and removes confusion about which rules apply when, which makes it clearer what you're actually entitled to claim.

Key details

• Liability limits are now linked: The government's liability in accidents now matches the airline's liability limits under the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959, unless regulations set a higher amount.

• Insurance exclusions clarified: The bill spells out situations where airlines don't have to pay out (though the full details aren't in this excerpt).

• Servants and agents covered: The law now clarifies the liability of airline staff and agents, not just the airline itself.

• Commencement: The law takes effect on a date the government announces, but automatically comes into force after 6 months if they haven't set a date yet.

Official Description

Amends the: Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 (CACL Act) to: reflect the increase to the domestic liability cap for death or injury to passengers to $925 000 as effected by the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Regulations 2019; provide for the secretary to make regulations about permitted exclusions of liability in relation to the scope of mandatory insurance that airlines must obtain; and provide that servants and agents of a carrier can avail themselves of the same conditions of liability in addition to the limits of liability applicable to air carriers; and Air Accidents (Commonwealth Government Liability) Act 1963 to provide that increases to the liability caps under Part IV of the CACL Act are incorporated regardless of whether implemented by amendments to the CACL Act or via regulation.

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.