Delta Pays $30K to Passengers in Minneapolis-Toronto Flight Crash-Landing
Delta Air Lines (DAL) has offered $30,000 to each passenger on board its Boeing 747 flight that crashed upon landing in Toronto. The payment, amounting to $2.3 million if all passengers accept, comes with no strings attached, according to a company spokesperson.
The crash-landing, which occurred on February 17th, left 21 passengers injured. All have since been released from the hospital. The aircraft, carrying 76 people, experienced no fatalities.
Delta's payment offer stems from international treaties (Warsaw and Montreal Conventions) governing flights. Passengers in injury or death incidents are entitled to advance payments to cover immediate economic needs. For injuries, the minimum payment is 16,000 Special Drawing Rights ($20,000), while carriers are not liable for damages exceeding 151,880 Special Drawing Rights ($200,000).
CEO Ed Bastian praised the crew of the flight as "heroic" in handling the incident. However, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, along with the National Transportation Safety Board, continues to investigate the cause of the crash.