This article explores
the first issues of the Air Law journal, which has been re-branded as Air &
Space Law in the course of its existence. It is designed to find out how air
law, as manifested by the articles in these issues, has evolved throughout the
lifetime of this journal. It cannot deal with the many air and space law
related subjects which have been reported. However, an attempt has been made to
distil the most important developments which took place during the first ten
years of Air & Space Law, which was then published as Air Law, and to
reflect on the evolution of these disciplines.
The term ‘a bleached
mirror’ has been employed to indicate that certain subjects, such as the
relationship between the operation of air transport services and the
application of a competition law regime, have shed light on future aviation
activities. A subject which received relatively much attention between 1975 and
1985 pertained to the liability of Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), which is
currently re-appearing on legal agendas. Air carrier liability is a constant
factor in publications, whether related to the Warsaw regime or the Montreal
Convention of 1999. The distinction between scheduled and non-scheduled
services was amply examined in the first period, but has now more or less
disappeared behind the horizons of legal reflections.