American Airlines, Inc. v. Myron Wolens et al.
Decided January 18, 1995. Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion of the Court.
Docket 93-1286 · 513 U.S. 219 (1995) · Cited 725 times
Holding
The ADA’s preemption prescription bars state-imposed regulation of air carriers, but allows room for court enforcement of contract terms set by the parties themselves.
The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.
How the Justices voted
Decided 5–3.
Majority · 5
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg · delivered the opinion of the Court
- Anthony McLeod Kennedy
- David Hackett Souter
- Stephen Gerald Breyer
- William Hubbs Rehnquist
Dissenting · 3
- Clarence Thomas
- John Paul Stevens · filed a dissenting opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor · filed a dissenting opinion
“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.
Precedents cited
Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.
- Morales v. Trans World Airlines, Inc. · 504 U.S. 374 (1992)
- Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc. · 505 U.S. 504 (1992)
- Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. American Train Dispatchers' Ass'n · 499 U.S. 117 (1991)
- Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. · 463 U.S. 85 (1983)
- Pilot Life Insurance v. Dedeaux · 481 U.S. 41 (1987)
- Ingersoll-Rand Co. v. McClendon · 498 U.S. 133 (1990)
- Bank of Columbia v. Okely · 17 U.S. 122 (1819)
- Arizona v. Rumsey · 467 U.S. 203 (1984)
- Farmers & Merchants Bank of Monroe v. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond · 262 U.S. 649 (1923)
Cited by
Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.
- Northwest, Inc. v. Ginsberg · 572 U.S. 273 (2014)
- Rowe v. New Hampshire Motor Transport Ass'n · 552 U.S. 364 (2008)
- Altria Group, Inc. v. Good · 555 U.S. 70 (2008)
Official text
Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)
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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1995). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).