ABSTRACT
Elizabeth Pittman, a minor child, was kidnapped by her mother in defiance of a court order prohibiting the mother’s access to her child as a result of the mother’s divorce. The mother, Erna Pittman, used the services of Icelandair to remove her daughter from the United States to Iceland. The father of the child, Frederick Pittman, who had lawful custody of Elizabeth, filed action1 against Icelandair, Erna and other defendants concerned, on the grounds that they collectively conspired to abduct his daughter. As a defendant, Icelandair found itself charged with tortious interference with parental rights, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and negligence. In the context of the above allegations the plaintiffs – father and daughter – averred the following against Icelandair: the carrier allowed Erna and her daughters to board its flight under false names; the carrier falsified its passenger manifest to conceal the fact that Erna was travelling with her two children; and the employees of the carrier surreptitiously escorted Erna and her daughters to the aircraft departing for Iceland. The defendant airline denied all allegations.
