Airlines Seek Dismissal of Sept. 11 Lawsuit

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Aug 20, 2002
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[P][SPAN class=newsarttitle][SPAN class=newsartsubtitle] [/SPAN][/SPAN][BR][STRONG]NEW YORK[/STRONG] -- A group of aviation-related companies have asked a federal court to dismiss claims stemming from the Sept. 11 terror attacks, saying they weren''t liable for damage or casualties on the ground in New York City or at the Pentagon.
[P]The motion, filed Friday in Manhattan federal court and announced on Monday, was referred to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein. No date was set for a hearing.[/P]
[P]The motion said that under laws governing airport and flight security, the so- called aviation defendants had no legal responsibility toward victims of Sept. 11 not aboard the aircraft that were turned into weapons of mass murder.[/P]
[P]It also noted that the federal government had created a program to compensate victims of Sept. 11 and a special legal action to incorporate all claims of damages.[/P]
[P]The 10 defendants include AMR Corp.''s (AMR) American Airlines, which owned two of the four hijacked jetliners, several airport security firms at points of origin and Continental Airlines Inc.(NYSE:[A href=java script:_NewsTicker(''CAL'')]CAL[/A]) (CAL), whose Newark, N.J., terminal facility allegedly played a role.[/P]
[P]UAL Corp.''s (UAL) United Airlines, owner of the other two planes, was excluded as a defendant because of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.[/P]
[P]More than 3,000 people were killed Sept. 11, 2001, when four jetliners, hijacked by terrorists, crashed into New York''s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in southwestern Pennsylvania.[/P]
[P]Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim the aviation defendants were responsible for security breaches that enabled the 19 hijackers to board and later take over the planes in Boston, Dulles International airport in Virginia and Newark. They include relatives of people killed or injured and firms that lost property or suffered economic losses.[/P]
[P]Separate lawsuits have been filed seeking damages on behalf of some of the 306 passengers and crew members aboard the four jetliners. [/P][PRE] Dow Jones Newswires
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