Delta Air Lines Offers $30,000 to Passengers in Minneapolis-Toronto Flight Crash
Delta Air Lines (DAL) has announced that it will pay $30,000 to each passenger aboard the Minneapolis-Toronto flight that crash-landed on February 17th. The offer is not contingent upon any conditions.
The payment falls under international treaties governing flights and incidents involving passenger injuries and deaths. Airlines are required to make advance payments to passengers to cover their immediate financial needs.
In the event of injury or death, passengers are entitled to a minimum of 16,000 Special Drawing Rights ($20,000) as an advance against the carrier's ultimate liability. The treaties stipulate that carriers cannot limit liability for damages up to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights ($200,000).
Delta's CEO, Ed Bastian, praised the Endeavor-operated flight crew's heroism during the incident.
As of Thursday morning, investigators continue their investigation into the cause of the crash. Video footage shows the plane landing hard on the snow-covered runway, bouncing and flipping over.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation, assisted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The number of passengers who have accepted Delta's offer is unknown.