Lufthansa and aviation rivals clash in London court over power outlet profits

Lufthansa and aviation rivals clash in London court over power outlet profits as the patent fight enters another appeals phase. German carrier Lufthansa is back in London over a long-running dispute with Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems, Panasonic, and Safran concerning high-voltage aircraft passenger power outlets. The case traces to 2017, when Lufthansa Technik alleged infringement while a patent was still active; the patent expired in 2018. After earlier proceedings, a London Patents Court ruling in 2020 found the patent valid and that defendants infringed it, and an appeal upheld that infringement finding in 2022 before sending the matter back to handle technical financial issues. In early 2025, Mr Justice Leech held the defendants must account for profits and that Lufthansa was entitled to interest. Both sides now return to the Court of Appeal, seeking appeals on four aspects from this payout calculation.