007NORTHWESTAIRLINES,petitioner,vs.DR.
JAIMEF.LAYA,respondent.
G.R.No.145956May29,2002
KAPUNAN,J.:
TOPIC:AirworthinessinCarriagebyAir
PONENTE:KAPUNAN,J.:
AUTHOR:
NOTES:(ifapplicable)
Thecasemadenospecificmentionaboutairworthinessin
thecarriagebyair.
Iguesscomplyingwithsecuritymeasuresmakesanaircraft
airworthy?
FACTS:(chronologicalorder)
1. OnMay3,1991,hereinrespondentDr.JaimeF.Laya,amedicalpractitioner,wasboundforSanFranciscoviaafirst
classbookingwithNorthwestAirlines(NWA).Beingafrequentpassenger,hewasamemberoftheWorldPerks
Club.
2. Whileonhiswaytothefirstclasswaitinglounge,Dr.LayawasapproachedbyaNWAemployeewhorequestedhim
toproceedtoalongtablewherepassengerswerelinedup.There,thepassengers'Samsonitehandcarriedattach
caseswerebeingsubjectedtofurtherinspection.Sincehenoticedthathewascarryinganattachcasesimilarto
thosebeinginspected,Dr.Layaaccededtotherequest.
3. Dr.Layanoticedthathisattachcasewastreateddifferently.Whiletheotherpassengerswereeventuallyallowedto
carrytheircasesonboardtheplane,Dr.Layawasaskedtoplacehisattachcaseinablackgarbagebagandhewas
giventwopaperenvelopeswherehecouldputitscontents.
4. SinceDr.Layafeltthathewassingledoutforthisextraordinarytreatment,herequestedthathebeallowedtotalkwith
themanagertodiscusshissituation.AcertainMr.Barretoapproachedhim.WhileDr.Layawasexplaininghisplight,
Mr.RommelEvangelista,NWA'sassistantmanager,toldhimthat"evenifyouarethePresidentofthePhilippinesor
thePresidentoftheUnitedStateswearegoingtodothesame."
5. Dr.Laya'ssituationwasaggravatedwhenthetwopaperenvelopesprovedtobetoofragileforthecontentsofhis
attachcase.Theenvelopeswereeventuallytorn.Dr.Layaaskedforareplacementandwasprovidedwithaused
DutyFreebag.
6. UponhisarrivalatSanFrancisco,Dr.LayawasaccordedVIP treatmentbyNWA'sgroundpersonnel.Two(2)ground
stewardessesaskedforhistraveldocumentsanddeclarationsandtheytookcareofhisclearanceandadmissionpapers.
Dr.Layawassparedthetroubleofhavingtofallinlinetohavehispapersprocessed.Whenheproceededtothe
baggageclaimarea,hischeckinluggageandhisSamsoniteattachcasewerealreadyreadyforpickup.
7. OnMay25,1991,Dr.LayawrotetoNWAandreportedtherudetreatmentaccordedhimbyitspersonnelbutNWA
didnotheedhiscomplaint.OnOctober9,1991,Dr.Laya'scounselsentademandlettertoNWA.NWArespondedby
apologizingforwhateverinconvenienceDr.LayasufferedbutitrefusedDr.Laya'sdemandforindemnity.Instead,on
October31,1991,theNWACustomerRelationsOfficesentDr.Layaaletterwithatransportationcreditvoucher
worthUS$100.00.Dr.Layarefusedtoacceptthevoucherbutkeptitforevidentiarypurposes,andhepromptlyfileda
complaintfordamagesagainstNWAbeforetheRTCofQuezonCity.
8. PetitionerNorthwest Airlines contention: The securityprocedures adopted byNWA was onlythe result of a
directive(UNITEDSTATESFEDERALAVIATIONADMINISTRATION("FAA")SECURITYDIRECTIVENO.
9111)issuedbytheFederalAviationAdministration(FAA)ofwhichNWA,beingaU.S.carrier,issubjectto.
9. RTC: RuledinfavorofDr.Laya.Thedirectiveisunreasonableanddidnotcoincidewiththecarrierspromiseof
politeandgraciousservice.
10. Bothpartiesappealed.NWAappealedtheunfavorablerulingagainstitwhileDr.Layaappealedtheawardinhisfavor
ofonlyP1,000,000.00moraldamagesandP500,000.00exemplarydamages.
11. CA:Affirmedthetrialcourt'sdecisionwithmodificationsbyreducingtheawardofmoraldamagestoP500,000.00
andtheexemplarydamagestoP250,000.00.
ISSUE(S):WhetherornotthesecurityproceduresadoptedbyNWAwereunreasonable?
HELD:NO.CourtfindsthatthesecurityproceduresadoptedbyNWAwasonlytheresultofadirectiveissuedbythe
FederalAviationAdministration(FAA)ofwhichNWA,beingaU.S.carrier,issubjectto.
RATIO:
Airportandairlinepersonnelcouldnotaffordanylapseintheimplementationofsecuritymeasuresmeanttoensure
thesafetyofairplanecrewandpassengers.Airlinecarriersholdthelivesofpassengersintheirhandsandtheymustat
alltimesbevigilantonmattersaffectingtheirsafety.
The security procedures adopted by NWA was only the result of a directive issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration(FAA)ofwhichNWA,beingaU.S.carrier,issubjectto.ThepertinentpartoftheFAASecurity
DirectiveNo.9111,whichwasineffectatthetimeoftheincident,statesthefollowing:
ThreatInformation:
A.SD9106providedthefollowinginformation:FAAhasreceivedinformationstatingthattwomanterroristteams
havebeentrainedintheuseofbriefcasebombs.ThebombsareconcealedinbrownSamsonitebriefcases.
TheteamsmaybetargetingareasinAsia,Africa,andpossiblyWesternEurope.
B.SC9109providedadditionalinformationwhichindicatedthattherewereatleasttwoadditionaldeviceswhich
might be used in terrorist attacks. The additional devices also contain two kilograms of high explosives in the
briefcaseliners.
AsecondbombmaybeconcealedinablackSamsonitebriefcase.
AthirdtypeofbombisconcealedinaburgundySamsonitebriefcase.
xxx
ActionrequiredbyU.S.AirCarriers:
A.Thefollowingproceduresshallbeappliedtoallhardshellblack,brown,orburgundySamsonitebriefcasesby
allU.S.aircarriersonflightsdepartingAsia,AfricaandEurope.
1.xxxx
2.Allblack,brown,orburgundySamsoniteBriefcasesshallonlybetransportedascheckedbaggage.
3.xxxx
4.Theaircarriershalldenythepassengeranyaccesstothebriefcaseafterithasbeentendereduntilthebriefcase
isclaimedbythepassengeruponarrivalatdestination.Followingtheapplicationoftheproceduresabove,the
briefcaseshallbetransportedascheckedbaggage.However,thecontentsofthebriefcasemaybereturnedtothe
passengerforpersonaluseaboardtheflight.
ItmaybetruethatDr.LayawasgreatlyinconveniencedbytheactofNWAwhenhisattachcasewassubjectedtofurther
inspectionandhewasnotallowedtobringitonboardtheplane.However,itdoesnotappearthathewassingledoutand
discriminatedbytheemployeesofNWA.AccordingtoDr.Layahimself,otherCaucasiansandAsianpassengerscarrying
attachcasesimilartohiswerealsorequiredtoundergofurtherinspection.
Nevertheless,whiletheprotectionofpassengersmusttakeprecedenceoverconvenience,theimplementationofsecurity
measuresmustbeattendedbybasiccourtesies. TheCourtisinclinedtobelievethetestimonyofDr.Layathatthe
personnel who examined his attach case were rude, brusque, arrogant and domineering and that the manager who
attendedtohimansweredhisqueriesinareprehensiblemanner,causinghimhumiliationastheotherpassengerswere
alreadylookingathim.Thus,theawardformoraldamagesissustainedbutreducedtoP100,000.00andtheamountof
exemplarydamagesisreducedtoP50,000.00.
CASELAW/DOCTRINE:
DISSENTING/CONCURRINGOPINION(S):
