Chinese court orders $3.3 million in compensation to families of missing MH370 passengers

A court in Beijing has ruled that Malaysia Airlines must pay compensation of 2.9 million yuan (approximately $410,240) per case to families of passengers who were aboard the missing flight MH370. State broadcaster CCTV confirmed the ruling on Monday.

The ruling by the Chaoyang District Intermediary Court is significant, albeit partial, legal conclusion for the families who have pursued justice and truth since the plane disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people aboard, most of whom were Chinese citizens.

The proceedings focused on accountability from the defendants, including Malaysia Airlines, aircraft manufacturer Boeing, engine maker Rolls-Royce, and Allianz insurance group.

Jiang Hui, whose mother was on board the flight and who has been a consistent spokesperson for the relatives, previously described the beginning of the hearings as “very comforting, and it is a turning point,” acknowledging the community’s painful ten-year wait for legal recourse.

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For many of the bereaved, the monetary compensation remains secondary to the fundamental quest for answers.

While previous settlements were accepted by more than 110 families, others refused to settle, holding out for a judicial determination of accountability and the truth behind the plane’s disappearance.

Bao Lanfang, who lost her son and daughter-in-law, told Reuters, “What I want is that Malaysia Airlines gives me the truth. What happened to our loved ones?” Jiang Hui, reflecting on the challenges of the process, also told Reuters, “‘We are not responsible anymore’ is their attitude.”

The ruling today may set a new financial and legal precedent for the remaining cases still pending before the Chinese judiciary. Despite the financial resolution for some, the families’ core demand for a renewed, government-backed search for the missing Boeing 777 in the southern Indian Ocean continues.

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What happened to flight MH370?

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Less than an hour after takeoff, contact with air traffic control was lost over the South China Sea, and the plane vanished from radar.

Despite one of the largest search operations in aviation history, focused on the southern Indian Ocean, only small pieces of debris have been found on distant shores, while the main wreckage and flight recorders remain missing.

Theories about the disappearance range from mechanical failure to hijacking or deliberate pilot action, but none have been conclusively proven.