Lod District Court Orders Brook Aviation to Pay IAI 3.1 Million Shekels

The Lod District Court has ordered Brook Aviation to pay Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) approximately 3.1 million shekels for helicopter parking and maintenance services. Judge Jacob Shepsel fully dismissed a counter-claim filed by Brook for about 4.4 million shekels, ruling that the private company failed to substantiate its alleged damages.

The business relationship between the parties began in June 2020, as Brook prepared to participate in a Ministry of Defense tender for transporting defense personnel and air force staff to remote bases. Brook won the tender in December 2021, prompting IAI to train its personnel to maintain the Sikorsky helicopters chosen by the private firm. As part of the collaboration, IAI provided parking and maintenance services, which also supported Brook's operations with Magen David Adom.

In June 2023, just three days before the official expiration of the agreement, Brook vacated the IAI compound. In a lawsuit filed in September of that year, IAI asserted that Brook failed to settle the full balance for services rendered, despite explicit agreements, leaving debts totaling millions of shekels. Conversely, Brook claimed that the invoices contained charges for unperformed labor hours and disputed the transition to a fixed monthly payment model of approximately 75,000 dollars.

Judge Shepsel ruled in favor of IAI regarding the outstanding debts, noting that Brook had approved the charges for the training period and accepted the new payment framework through its conduct. Furthermore, the court rejected Brook's counter-claims concerning technician certification delays and training investments, emphasizing that IAI had not committed to a strict timeline and that the acquired skills remained professional assets for the technicians.