Criminal Injuries on foreign-registered aircraft: Why victims are being failed and what needs to change

Can you claim compensation if you’re assaulted on a flight to the UK?
The answer is more complicated than most victims realise.

A UK criminal court can prosecute an assault that happens on a flight en-route to Britain. But if that assault takes place on a foreign-registered aircraft, the victim is currently excluded from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS).

That was the stark reality for the woman sexually assaulted on a Qatar Airways flight to Gatwick. Her attacker was jailed by a UK court, yet her CICA claim was refused because the plane was not “British-controlled.”

This gap in the system highlights a serious problem: UK law allows prosecution of crimes on foreign planes, but victims cannot access CICA compensation for the very same offence.

Why CICA won’t pay compensation in these cases

This isn’t a legal technicality, it’s exactly how the rules are written.

  • The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme only pays out for injuries sustained in a “relevant place.”
  • Annex C of the scheme includes British-controlled aircraft and certain UK-linked locations.
  • Foreign-registered aircraft are not covered.

Meanwhile, under the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Act 1996, UK courts do have jurisdiction to try offences committed on foreign planes landing in the UK.

In short: UK courts can prosecute the crime, but CICA won’t compensate the victim.

Criminal, Civil and CICA Claims – know the difference

It’s important for victims to understand why their claim is refused. Three different systems are at play:

  1. Criminal jurisdiction – UK courts can try crimes on foreign aircraft landing in the UK.
  2. Civil claims – Victims can sue offenders (and sometimes others) in civil courts. This is private litigation, not a state-funded scheme.
  3. CICA compensation – A taxpayer-funded scheme with strict rules on eligibility, location, and deadlines.

Because CICA is publicly funded, Parliament has deliberately restricted. The current line is drawn at aircraft registration: British aircraft are in, foreign aircraft are out.

What about Qatar? Do victims have another route?

UK Government guidance confirms that Qatar does not operate a state-funded victim compensation scheme. Victims there can pursue damages in the courts (including “moral damages”), but that is not the same as a tariff-based scheme like CICA.

Many European countries operate similar victim compensation schemes, but many other countries — like Qatar — do not. In this respect, the UK’s scheme, in place since the 1960s, remains unusual and progressive.

Why the current law fails victims

From a survivor’s perspective, the distinction feels deeply unfair.

  • The same assault can be tried and punished in a UK criminal court, yet the victim is excluded from compensation.
  • This undermines public understanding of what CICA is for.
  • It also clashes with wider government commitments to support survivors of violence, particularly women.

Victims already face long waiting times for CICA decisions, averaging 361 days in 2023–24. So when an application is rejected instantly on jurisdiction grounds, the injustice is even more glaring.

How Parliament could fix the gap

If this gap is to be closed, Parliament must act. Three possible reforms:

  1. Align CICA geography with UK criminal jurisdiction
    Extend Annex C to include any aircraft within UK criminal jurisdiction (including foreign planes landing in the UK).
  2. Carve-out for serious offences
    Add a specific provision for the most serious sexual or violent crimes on UK-bound flights.
  3. Local remedy or contribution
    Allow access to CICA but offset awards if realistic civil remedies exist abroad.

Whatever the solution, the line must be drawn clearly by Parliament not left to CICA decision-makers.

Practical guidance for victims and advisers

If your CICA claim has been refused because the offence happened on a foreign aircraft:

  • Check the wording of Annex C — argue jurisdiction if there’s any chance the aircraft was “British-controlled.”
  • Preserve deadlines — request an internal review within 56 days, and appeal to the First-tier Tribunal within 90 days if refused.
  • Consider civil claims — both in the UK and abroad. Qatar, for example, allows civil claims for damages.
  • Get specialist advice — deadlines are strict, and misinterpreting the “relevant place” rules can kill a claim.
  • Manage expectations — even successful CICA claims can take months or years.

Why specialist CICA expertise matters

Criminal injuries on aircraft sit at the intersection of aviation law, criminal jurisdiction, and victims’ rights. Not every solicitor or personal injury lawyer understands these rules.

At GLP Solicitors, our specialist injury and CICA team has extensive experience with appeals, rejected claims, and complex jurisdiction issues.

We fight to ensure that victims and survivors get the justice and compensation they are entitled to — even when the system feels stacked against them.

The Qatar Airways case shows how arbitrary the current rules can feel for victims. Until Parliament redraws the boundaries of CICA eligibility, many survivors will continue to fall through the cracks.

➡️ If your CICA claim has been rejected, especially after an incident abroad or on a foreign-registered aircraft, speak to GLP Solicitors today. Our team can guide you through the appeals process, protect your deadlines, and explore every possible route to justice.

📞 Call our Injury Team today: 0800 111 6370

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