Liquor maker Bacardi is suing Fort Worth-based American Airlines over the disappearance of more than $65,000 worth of imported French cognac that disappeared during a flight from Paris to Los Angeles last year.

Bacardi USA the American arm of the Spanish alcohol manufacturer, which claims to be the largest privately held spirits company in the world and owns dozens of liquor brands, began selling the brandy from Cognac, France, in the U.S. a decade ago.

Bacardi owns three brands of cognac under the Otard, D’ussé Cognac and Gaston De LaGrange labels.

According to the lawsuit, Bacardi gave American Airlines 24 pallets containing 1,680 cases to transport on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles International Airport, but more than six pallets — or 420 cases — didn’t make it.

When the American Airlines flight landed at LAX, at least six pallets and three cases were missing. Each pallet is said to have 70 cases of liquor, bringing the sum for the missing cargo to $65,820.

American Airlines first introduced cargo-only flights in 2020. The cargo airline industry thrived during the onset of the COVID pandemic as international and local flights were halted. Those international flights took off between DFW and European destinations such as Madrid, Paris, and Frankfurt, all without passengers.

Cargo such as the Bacardi shipment has become a bigger business for American Airlines and other carriers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing in $1.3 billion in revenue in 2021, more than double what it made in 2019 before COVID. That’s because planes have been less full, particularly international flights, during the last two years and that leaves more room for cargo, such as liquor.

And on Tuesday, Liquor giant Bacardi said American Airlines hasn’t paid yet for the tab for hundreds of cases of cognac, even though it has been “duly demanded,” the suit states.

It isn’t clear whether the liquor was stolen or lost.

Sources:  Washingtonexaminer, Aviationpros, Nypost