United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Judge dismisses wildlife trophy lawsuit against Delta
Sunday, 09 Jun, 2016
0
A judge has ruled Delta Air Lines has the right to ban the carriage of any goods it sees fit, as long as the rule applies to all passengers.
US District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn dismissed a lawsuit against the airline by a big game hunter for refusing to fly his prize home to the US after an African safari.
A Texan hunter Corey Knowlton and other parties including the Houston Safari Club had sued the airline for refusing to ship the endangered black rhinoceros trophy, even though other game is permitted to be carried.
A rhino is part of the Big Five – lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros, and buffalo – which Delta said it would no longer ship after the outcry over the hunting of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.
The plaintiffs claimed it violated the equal protection common law principle, but this was denied by the judge.
"Delta’s policy bans its shipment of Big Five trophies. Obviously, it does not ban the hunting of Big Five game. Such hunters are free to ship allowed cargo with Delta, including trophies of other game," the judge wrote.
"Although, because Plaintiffs are hunters or other parties who benefit from the hunting of the Big Five, Delta’s ban negatively affects them, that impact does not mean Delta’s decision is unlawful or actionable."
Knowlton had paid $350,000 for the shoot and Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism issued a license to kill the rhino.
He claimed the ban ‘jeopardized benefits of tourist hunting and its centrality to conservation.’
The airline had called the legal action ‘absurd’ as it sought to force Delta to carry Big Five trophies because it allows the carriage of other wildlife.
"If it were true, an airline that accepted hunting shotguns as checked baggage would also have to accept AK-47s and grenade launchers. Not surprisingly, the case law rejects this position," Delta said in its motion to dismiss the case.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel