Today marks the start of a court hearing in Beijing, China, where relatives of the victims on the tragic Flight MH370 will be suing Malaysia Airlines for damages.
Jiang Hui, 50, whose mother, 70, was returning from a vacation in Malaysia on the MH370 flight that vanished while traveling to Beijing on March 8, 2014, is one of the Chinese people suing for compensation, according to US-based news site CNN.
According to CNN, Jiang filed a lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines, its insurer Allianz, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and the company that made the plane’s engine. He is reportedly demanding money, a formal apology, psychological support so that the family members can get back on track, and the creation of a fund so that the search for the airliner can continue.
In an interview with CNN, Jiang said the families who had refused to accept settlement offers over flight MH370 did not receive any apology or any compensation.
According to Jiang, roughly forty Chinese families have filed lawsuits against those corporations with a variety of claims that largely overlap. The court proceedings are set to start today at Beijing’s Chaoyang District People’s Court and are anticipated to last until December 5.
This Friday is the scheduled court hearing for Jiang’s personal case.
According to CNN, these lawsuits were filed in China more than seven years ago.
The state-run China Daily in Beijing has also reported on the proceedings, according to AFP, which also quoted Jiang in its article. The court’s public website did not list the hearing.
It further stated that this morning, the journalists and the relatives of the victims have assembled outside the court. MH370 had 239 persons on board, with 153 of them being citizens of China.
Regarding the court proceedings in China, Boeing sent a statement to CNN that stated, “Our thoughts continue to be with those who were on board MH370 and their loved ones.”
CNN reported that it has requested a response from Rolls-Royce, Allianz, and Malaysia Airlines. Malay Mail is requesting an answer from Anthony Loke, the minister in charge of transportation at the ministry.
CNN reports that because all of the accused companies are multinational corporations with headquarters located outside of China, it is unclear whether any court orders against them will be enforced in China. CNN did point out that Rolls-Royce, Boeing, and Malaysia Airlines all have offices in China.
Families in China who signed a settlement agreement with Malaysia Airlines had received 2.5 million yuan (or over RM1.6 million by today’s exchange rates) in compensation, with CNN saying that only dozens of Chinese families initially took up the offer and that more families later also settled after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The roughly 40 remaining families who still refused to take up the settlement offer had turned the offer down as it would remove Malaysia Airlines and the Malaysian government’s responsibility over flight MH370.
