The First Episode of the Air Law Journal: A Bleached Mirror of the Future

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.