Soon after a Pacific Blue pilot began defending charges in the Queenstown District Court and a report was released on a separate incident when passenger jets crossed flight paths above the resort, a worldwide specialist aviation service for law firms to access aviation experts is being launched in Queenstown.
Sydney-based international aviation consultancy firm AvLaw Aviation Consultants announced yesterday it was launching the interNEWS service to provide law firms with access to a range of aviation experts across all technical and operational disciplines.
Pilots, aircraft engineers, safety specialists, and aircraft accident investigators will be able to register on the database for the service, which went live online yesterday.
The interNEWS service will be operated in New Zealand by AvLaw Pacific operations regional manager Alan Ferguson, of Christchurch.
The official launch tomorrow coincides with the 31st annual Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (ALAANZ) conference in the Heritage Hotel, Queenstown, starting tomorrow and finishing on Tuesday. A total of 85 aviation law experts from around the world will attend.
Asked what prompted the service, managing director Ron Bartsch, of Sydney, said yesterday the firm realised there was a big demand for specific aviation experts.
"I realised law firms really need access to people that are experts in the technical and operational side of things, how best to develop and present expert reports and how to be good witnesses on the stand."
