British Airways has filed a $1.2 million lawsuit after almost 20 pounds of gold jewelry was stolen from one of its planes.
The airline says it was contracted by Al-Arefi Jewelry to transport the valuable cargo from Bahrain to Chicago in July 2023.
However, after the flight from London to Chicago O’Hare Airport landed, the jewelry was reported missing.
British Airways is suing Ground Services International, which is owned by the Emirati firm dnata and provides ground-handling services at several US airports.
The suit, filed in a Chicago court last October, says two GSI employees have been prosecuted for stealing the jewelry when the plane landed at O’Hare.
As a result of the theft, Al-Arefi brought legal action against the airline.
Last February, a Bahraini court ordered BA to pay the jeweler 153,000 dinars (roughly $406,000.)
BA says it wrote to GSI to request compensation over this, but the latter has refused, resulting in it taking legal action.
The airline says that GSI is in breach of the Standard Ground Handling Agreement because it did not safeguard valuable cargo and has not compensated it.
BA is asking for over $1.2 million, which consists of repaying the Bahraini court’s judgment, attorneys’ fees over $100,000, and more than $700,000 in consequential losses.
A settlement conference has been scheduled for February 11, according to a court document seen by Business Insider.
Dnata did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside US working hours.
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