Case study: Lufthansa Cargo and their rights to fly over Russian territory

On 27 October 2007 the Russian Federation revoked Lufthansa Cargo's rights to fly over Russian territory. The withdrawal came as a surprise to Lufthansa Cargo and shortly after the dispute started it evolved from an economic to a political conflict which awoke international interest. The international press speculated about the reasons for the emergence of the conflict and the possible intentions of the parties involved. Some assumed that the Russian Federation was misusing its power to enforce their interests upon a foreign company; others argued that the permission for limited flyover had simply expired and that Germany was starting a press campaign against Russia. The case study presents the development of the conflict and enables the reader to identify the issues involved, and deduce possible intentions of the stakeholders.