第四章 我國法關於航空運送人之責任規範
第七節 航空公司國際運送條款簡評
第七節 航空公司國際運送條款簡評
不論我國航空公司或者外國航空公司通常會在其網站上或者營業處放 置航空公司的航空運送條款,並以該條款作為航空運送契約(旅客及行李、
貨物運送)之一部。由於我國交通部依消費者保護法第 17 條規定,交通部 於 96 年 11 月 7 日交通部交航(一)字第 0960010417 號公告公佈之「國 內線航空乘客運送定型化契約應記載及不得記載事項」具有法規命令之性 質,從而國內大多航空公司皆依循將之訂入其運送條款,因限於篇幅,此 部分本文擬不討論。再者,筆者於網路搜尋,僅尋得英國航空公司國際貨 物運送條款及日本航空公司國際貨物運送條款,國內航空公司網站並未放 置貨物運送條款,因此以下先就英國航空公司旅客及行李運送條款(British Airways General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage),日本航空 公 司 國 際 旅 客 及 行 李 運 送 條 款 (Japan Airlines Conditions of Carriage (International Passengers and Baggage))與我國中華航空公司國際航線旅客 及行李運送條款及長榮航空公司國際航空運送條款有關運送人責任相關規 定相較,並討論英國航空公司及日本航空公司就國際貨物運送有關運送人 責任之運送條款相較並提出個人意見。其次再討論英國航空公司國際貨物 運送條款及日本航空公司國際貨物運送條款,最後再討論航空運送人就旅 客運送、行李運送、貨物運送應負之遲到責任。
第一項 旅客及行李運送
第一款 旅客運送責任
就旅客運送責任而言,英國航空公司旅客及行李運送條款第 15 條 d1 係納入 EU Regulation 2027/97 第 3 條(a)之規定。第 15 條 d1:「旅客因意外 事故發生死亡、傷害或其他身體上傷害受有損害而能證明我們應負責任 者,我們所負之責任並無任何金融上之限制。」472同條 d2 至 d4 則重申 MC99 第 20 條及第 21 條規定。d2 約定:「損害額總計在相當於 100,000 SDR(大 約 82,000 英鎊),我們將不會免除我們的責任。」473 d3 約定:「在 15 條 d2 約定之情形,經我們證明損害之發生,係全部或一部可歸責於受傷或死 亡之旅客或請求損害賠償權利人之故意不法行為或不作為所致者,我們得 依據適用之法律免除全部或一部我們之責任。」474 d4 約定:「如經我們 證明,損害之發生並非係基於我們或我們之代理人或損害之發生完全係由 第三人之過失或其他故意不法行為或不作為所致者,則我們所負責任可能 就超過 100,000 SDR 之部分減至 100,000 SDR 為限。」475同條 d5 至 d9 則將 EU Regulation 889/2002 有關預付款之規定納入。d5 約定:「我們在確定有 權請求損害賠償之自然人身分後 15 日內將依立即支付此類預付款予該自 然人,以儘可能符合該人以遭受該艱難狀況基礎下其經濟上立即需求。」
476 ,d6 約定:「在不影響 15 條 d5 之情形下,在旅客發生死亡之情形,預 付款之支付額以每一旅客不得少於 16,000 特別提款權(相當於 13,000 英鎊)」
477,d7 約定:「預付款之支付不構成我們承認我們應負責任。」478、d8 約 定:「預付款得與我們責任賠償額抵銷。」479、d9 約定:「預付款不得請 求返還,但如有第 15 條 d3 或者隨後證明收受預付款之人係無權請求損害 賠償之人之情形者,不在此限。」480
472 本項之原文為:「15d1) Our liability for proved damages sustained in the event of death, wounding or any other bodily injury by a passenger in the event of an accident shall not be subject to any financial limit.」
473 本項之原文為:「For any damages up to and including the sum of the equivalent of 100,000 SDRs (approximately £82,000), we shall not exclude or limit our liability.」
474 本項之原文為:「Notwithstanding the provisions of clause 15d2, if we prove that the damage was caused by, or contributed to by, the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of the injured or deceased passenger or of the person claiming compensation we may be exonerated wholly or partly from our liability in accordance with applicable laws.」
475 本項之原文為:「To the extent that damages under this clause 15d may potentially exceed 100,000 SDRs (approximately £82,000) they will be reduced accordingly if we prove that the damage was not due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of us or our agents or that the damage was solely due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of a third party.」
476 其原文為:「15d5) We shall, without delay and in any event not later than 15 days after the identity of the natural person entitled to compensation has been established, make such advance payments as may be required to meet immediate economic needs on a basis proportionate to the hardship suffered.」
477 其原文為:「15d6) event Without prejudice to clause 15d5, an advance payment shall not be less than the equivalent of 16,000 SDRs (approximately £13,000) per passenger in the of death.」
478 其原文為:「15d7) An advance payment shall not constitute recognition of our liability.」
479 其原文為:「15d8) An advance payment may be offset against any subsequent sums paid on the basis of our liability.」
480 其原文為:「15d9) An advance payment is not returnable, except in the cases described in clause 15d3, or
從英國航空公司旅客及行李運送條款來看,第 15 條 d2 至 d4 係重申 MC99 第 20 條及第 21 條規定,第 15 條 d1、d5 至 d9 則係補充適用華沙體 系或 MC99 之規定,由於上開條款對於並無免除或減輕運送人依華沙體系 或 MC99 所應負最低責任,上開約款應屬有效。
其次,日本航空公司國際旅客及行李運送條款第 17 條(A)項:「(A)法 律適用(1)由日航所實施之運送,除該運送不符合公約所規定之運送外,該 運送應適用公約有關責任之規定及限制。(2)在不牴觸前項規定之情況下,
任何由日本航空公司所為之運送及所提供之其他服務應依照下列規定:(a) 適用之法律;(b)在日本航空公司營業機構及其在任何機場之辦事處等提供 通常營業服務處所可取得之這些任何日本航空公司的運送條款及其規則。
(3)運送人之規則內應有運送人完整之名稱及其縮寫,而且機票上也應有該 名稱之縮寫表示。依公約之規定,機票上應將運送人之住址標示於出發地 機場之欄位上、以及第一次運送人名稱縮寫出現及經停地(必要時可由運送 人變更之)」481同條 17 條(B)項:「除公約及適用之法律另有規定外,對於旅 客發生死亡、傷害或其他身體上之傷害、旅客遲到、或其(他或她)之行李 發生遲到、毀損、滅失(以下概稱之為“損害”),係因日本航空公司履行有關 之運送或由其提供或附帶其他服務所致者,日本航空公司應負責任。如旅 客與有過失,日本航空公司之賠償責任應依適用法律有關之與有過失。」482 同項第 (3)款則約定:「(3)除了適用蒙特利爾公約外,本公約適用於:(a)日 本航空公司同意,在日本航空公司所為國際運送符合本公約規定國際運 送,適用該公約第 22 條第 1 項規定。(i)日本航空公司對於依本公約第 17 條規定所生之任何旅客死亡、傷害或其他身體上之傷害請求有關之抗辯,
不適用本公約第 22 條第 1 項規定之責任限制。除了下述(ii)之情形,日本航 空公司對於此類請求將不會放棄依本公約第 20 條第 1 項規定或適用法律可
in circumstances where it is subsequently proved that the person who received the advance payment was not the person entitled to compensation.」
481 其原文為:「(A) Applicable Laws (1)Carriage performed by JAL shall be subject to the rules and limitations relating to liability established by the Convention as applicable to the Carriage unless such Carriage is International Carriage to which the Convention does not apply. (2)To the extent not in conflict with the provisions of the preceding sub‐paragraph (1), any Carriage and other services to be performed or provided by JAL shall be subject to: (a)Applicable Laws; and(b)these Conditions of Carriage and JAL's Regulations, which may be inspected at any of JAL's business offices and its offices in any airport from which it operates regular services. (3)The full name of a Carrier and its abbreviation shall be as set forth in the Carrier's regulations and such name may be expressed in an abbreviated form on a Ticket. For the purpose of application of the Convention, a Carrier's address shall be the airport of departure indicated in the line of the Ticket on which the abbreviation of the Carrier's name first appears and the Agreed Stopping Places (which may be altered by the Carrier in case of necessity) shall be those places as defined in Article 1.」
482 原文為:「Except as otherwise provided by the Convention or Applicable Laws, JAL's liability for death of, or wounding or other bodily injury to, a Passenger, delay in arrival of a Passenger and/or his/her Baggage, or any loss of or damage to any Baggage of a Passenger (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Damage") arising out of or in connection with Carriage or other services incidental thereto performed or provided by JAL shall be as described hereinafter. If there has been contributory negligence on the part of the Passenger, JAL's liability shall be subject to the applicable law relating to contributory negligence.」
得主張之抗辯。(ii)日本航空公司就依本公約第 17 條有關旅客發生死亡、傷 害或其他身體上傷害之請求,在扣除訴訟費用包括法院認為合理的律師費 用後,在 100,000SDR 內,放棄本公約第 20 條第 1 項之抗辯。(b)有意造成 旅客死亡、傷害或其他身體上傷害等損害之人,就其損害提起或代表受損 害人之所提起之訴訟,不影響日本航空公司就該訴訟之所得主張之權利。」
483
就日本航空公司國際旅客及行李運送條款從其第 17 條(A)項來看,其運 送條款在條款僅載明公約(the Convention),然從其條款之敘述來看,其應 負之責任體制原則上仍係依華沙公約,僅於例外雙方另有約定時,始有 MC99 之適用,至於不符華沙公約或 MC99 規範之國際運送,既未約定,則 應回歸應適用之準據法。從同條(B)項約定來看,日本航空公司對於旅客發 生死亡、傷害或其他身體上之傷害、旅客遲到、或其(他或她)之行李發生 遲到、毀損、滅失(以下概稱之為“損害”)應負責任之情形,由原本華沙公約 或 MC99 規定與履行國際航空運送之情形,擴張至由其提供或附帶其他服 務所致國際運送之情形,顯係變更華沙公約或 MC99 規範,由於上開約款 約並未牴觸華沙公約或 MC99 因此,應認為有效。再者,日本航空公司於 條款中約定,就旅客發生死亡、傷害及其他身體上之傷害,在 100,000 SDR 內放棄華沙公約第 20 條第 1 項之抗辯,至超過 100,000 SDR 之範圍內,仍 得主張華沙公約第 20 條第 1 項之抗辯,其約定既未免除或減輕其依華沙公 約應負之最低責任,仍為有效。
長榮航空公司旅客及行李運送條款第 17 條約定:「十七、損害責任 1.
依據當事人訂立的運送契約,不論途中是否有中途停留地或轉運地,如出 發地或目的地係分屬不同之公約締約國或出發地和目的地均屬同一公約締 約國,但中途約定經停地(不論是否為公約締約國)是屬於主權、宗主權、委 任統治及其權利管轄之領地,則此一運送須適用華沙公約中有關責任之規 定和限制。另外,依據當事人訂立的運送契約,不論途中是否有中途停留 地或轉運地,如出發地和目的地係分屬不同之 1955 年海牙修正公約締約國 或出發地和目的地均屬同一海牙修正公約締約國,但中途有約定經停地,
而其經停地是屬於外國管轄之領地(即使不是修正公約締約國),則此一運送
483 本款之原文為:「(3)Where the Convention other than the Montreal Convention applies; (a)JAL agrees in accordance with Article 22 (1) of the Convention that, as to all International Carriage performed by JAL and as defined in the Convention: (i)JAL shall not apply the applicable limit of liability based on Article 22 (1) of the Convention in defense of any claim arising out of death of or, wounding or other bodily injury to, a Passenger within the meaning of Article 17 of the Convention. Except as provided in (ii) below, JAL will not waive any defense to such claim which is available under Article 20 (1) of the Convention or any other
483 本款之原文為:「(3)Where the Convention other than the Montreal Convention applies; (a)JAL agrees in accordance with Article 22 (1) of the Convention that, as to all International Carriage performed by JAL and as defined in the Convention: (i)JAL shall not apply the applicable limit of liability based on Article 22 (1) of the Convention in defense of any claim arising out of death of or, wounding or other bodily injury to, a Passenger within the meaning of Article 17 of the Convention. Except as provided in (ii) below, JAL will not waive any defense to such claim which is available under Article 20 (1) of the Convention or any other