Rupali Sharma

Rupali has experience in handling a variety of disputes for clients in the aviation sector, including airlines, manufacturers, insurers, airport operators, ground handlers and lessors on a broad range of contractual disputes. She has in-depth experience working on aviation regulatory matters, with particular expertise in the areas of travel, consumer protection and passenger rights at a domestic, EU and International level. Rupali also has experience working on issues arising out of airspace management and has been involved in very high-profile work in relation to NATS.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rupali has regularly advised key aviation stakeholders on the impact of COVID-19 on aviation generally, including in particular on the effects of force majeure and frustration arguments on existing contractual arrangements, EC 261 refunds and chargeback requests, and how to navigate around the changing regulatory and legal landscape as the aviation industry recovers. Rupali also contributed to a special publication by Wolters Kluwer, titled: ‘International Arbitration and the Covid-19 Revolution,’ and co-authored a chapter on ‘Covid-19 and Aviation Disputes.’

In addition, Rupali regularly advises and assists airlines in respect of investigations by regulators like the Civil Aviation Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority, the Payment Systems Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Advertising Standards Agency.

Expertise