Supplying UK airlines or airports? Get disputed invoices decided in 10 business days
For ground services, catering, cleaning, engineering, staffing, transport and other businesses supplying UK airlines and airports, and the subcontractors that supply them.
How can a supplier to a UK airline or airport recover a disputed invoice or service-level deduction?
Refer the dispute to Dispute Neutral. If the airline or airport agrees, or your terms include our clause, an independent lawyer decides on the contract, service records and invoices, with a binding decision within 10 business days of the matter being ready and a fixed fee from £650 + VAT.
Disputes we decide
Common reasons payment stops in your sector.
Ground services invoices
Ground handling, aircraft cleaning, de-icing, security or passenger assistance invoices reduced or left unpaid.
Service-level deductions
Penalties or service credits for delays or missed turnarounds that you do not accept.
Catering and onboard supplies
Deliveries rejected, said to be short, or disputed over wastage.
Parts, repairs and engineering
Repair, overhaul or urgent aircraft-on-ground work billed above the quote, or not paid at all.
Disruption services
Hotels, coaches and taxis arranged for disrupted passengers and billed to the airline, then queried.
Staffing and contractors
Agency fees and contractor day rates for crew, engineers and ground staff.
Why use Dispute Neutral
- Many airlines and some UK airports already use an independent ADR scheme for passenger complaints, so a quick independent decision is familiar ground. Those schemes do not cover disputes with suppliers.
- Fixed fee from £650 + VAT: proportionate for the many smaller invoices in airline and airport supply chains.
- Decided on the documents: the contract, service-level reports, work orders, timesheets and delivery records.
- Private, so you can keep the account while the dispute is decided.
- A binding written decision within 10 business days of the matter being ready.
Both businesses must agree to use Dispute Neutral, either through a clause in your terms or once the dispute has arisen. How to ask them.
UK airlines and UK contracts
This service is aimed at suppliers to UK airlines: airlines with a UK operating base and a UK operating company. It also covers UK airports.
Before starting, check your purchase order or contract for two things: the company you contracted with, and the law that governs the contract. If the contracting company is outside the UK, or the contract is governed by another country’s law, email us first so we can check the dispute is suitable.
- Example
- A ground services company is owed £18,000 after an airline applied service-level deductions it disputes. The Dispute Neutral fee is £1,200 + VAT, fixed, and the decision is due within 10 business days of both sides’ documents being in.
- Amount in dispute
- £18,000
- Dispute Neutral fee
- £1,200 + VATfixed; can be split 50:50
- Decision
- 10 business daysfrom when both sides’ documents are in
Settle future disputes before they start
Add our clause to your terms of supply and service agreements. Airlines and airports often use their own purchase terms, so propose the clause when those are negotiated too.
Questions
Does the airline’s passenger ADR scheme cover disputes with suppliers?
No. Airline and airport ADR schemes deal with complaints from passengers. A dispute between an airline or airport and its supplier is a business-to-business matter, which is what Dispute Neutral decides.
Which airlines does this cover?
Our aviation service is aimed at suppliers to UK airlines with a UK operating base and a UK operating company, and to UK airports. If your contract is with a company outside the UK, or is governed by another country’s law, email us with the details before starting and we will tell you whether the dispute is suitable.
Our contract is worth far more than £150,000. Can we still use you?
Yes, for individual disputes up to £150,000. A large contract often produces smaller, separate disputes, such as one disputed invoice or a month’s deductions, which can be referred on their own.
How much does it cost?
One fixed fee set by the amount in dispute: £650 + VAT up to £4,000, £900 up to £10,000, £1,200 up to £25,000 and £1,500 up to £150,000. For example, a £18,000 dispute costs £1,200 + VAT. The fee can be split 50:50.
Does the other business have to agree?
Yes. Both businesses must agree, either through a Dispute Neutral clause in your terms or once the dispute has arisen. We provide a ready-made invitation you can send, and free clauses you can add to your terms so future disputes come to us automatically.
Is the decision binding?
Yes. Both businesses sign an agreement to accept the decision before the case starts. It is final and binding except for fraud or manifest error. If it is not followed, it can be enforced; depending on the matter, by applying straight for summary judgment or serving a statutory demand.
How long does it take?
The decision is issued within 10 business days of the matter being ready, meaning both businesses have signed and uploaded their documents. There is no hearing.
Useful guides
- Recover unpaid trade invoicesFor trades and suppliers, including quality disputes and work with no written contract.Article
- Statutory interest and compensation on unpaid invoicesWhat you can add to an overdue invoice automatically, with no court order.Article
- Letter before action for unpaid invoicesWhat to include, how to send it and what to do if it is ignored.Guide
- Add Dispute Neutral to your contractsFree clauses for your business terms, so any dispute comes straight to an independent decision.Clauses
Get a binding decision in 10 business days
Fixed fees from £650 + VAT. Both businesses agree, send their documents, and an independent lawyer decides.
Prevent the next one: add our free clause to your terms of business.