Bacardi, on Tuesday, filed a complaint against American Airlines at the California Central District Court. Bacardi is suing American Airlines over the disappearance of more than $65,000 worth of imported French cognac.
Moreover, Bacardi said it tasked American Airlines with sending 24 pallets, carrying 1,680 cases of cognac from Paris to Los Angeles on or around September 20, 2021. The lawsuit claims that more than six pallets and three cases (a total of 420 cases) did not reach LA.
The value of the missing cognac was $65,820.72, Bacardi is demanding that the airline pay the $65,820 tab for the bottles, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Pasadena, California.
American Airlines launched cargo-only flights in 2020
The cargo’s fate remains unknown. The cognac brands Otard, D’ussé Cognac, and Gaston De LaGrange are owned by Bacardi. It is one of the world’s top liquor companies. It’s unclear what brand of cognac went missing. Bacardi and American Airlines representatives are yet to respond to the event.
Since the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, cargo such as the Bacardi shipment has become a crucial business for American Airlines and other carriers; bringing in $1.3 billion in income in 2021, more than double what it did in 2019 before COVID-19.