First published in 1945, Shawcross and Beaumont has served as a leading authority on air law throughout the modern aviation era. The session, ‘80 Years of Flight: From the Chicago Convention to the Future of Aerospace’, will bring together members of its editorial team, whose work is updated every six months to reflect developments across the sector.
Discussion will be divided into three themes: ‘Sovereignty and the Sky’, examining how the post-war framework governing state control of airspace is being tested by geopolitical conflict; ‘Operational Risks and Modern Navigation’, considering the shift from manual radio towers to satellite-dependent airspace, alongside regulation of drones and advanced air mobility; and ‘Air Passenger Litigation and Insurance Risk’.
Speakers include Michael Gill, director of legal affairs and external relations at the International Civil Aviation Organization; Auguste Hocking, director legal services and deputy general counsel at the International Air Transport Association; and Professor Georgios Leloudas of Swansea University, the publication’s general editor.
They will be joined by Andrew Harrington of QBE Insurance, barrister Daniel Wand, Professor Andreas Rühmkorf, and Emeritus Professor and former general editor David McClean, who has been associated with Shawcross and Beaumont for more than 50 years.
The event will consider how aviation law has adapted to technological change, evolving passenger rights and insurance risks, while looking ahead to the legal questions posed by an increasingly digitalised and autonomous aerospace sector.
For more information and to register, see the event page here.



