China court orders M'sia Airlines to give $4.25 million to families of MH370 victims

A court in Beijing has ordered Malaysia Airlines to compensate the families of eight MH370 passengers, over a decade after the plane vanished.

On Dec. 8, the Chaoyang District People’s Court issued the statement for its rulings for eight compensation claims cases regarding eight passengers aboard the flight, reported China Daily. 

The court awarded the eight families 2.9 million yuan (S$532,170) each in damages, 23.2 million yuan (S$4,258,720) in total, with the compensation's purpose being funeral costs, emotional distress and other losses.

The court stated that 47 other lawsuits had been withdrawn, after the families and airline settled out of court. 

The remaining 23 cases are still ongoing, as the families involved have yet to apply or complete legal procedures to declare their loved ones deceased, the cases remain under judicial review.

The timeline

MH370 vanished on Mar. 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the Boeing 777 plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew.

Around two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese, reported China Daily.

The Malaysian government issued a statement on Jan. 19, 2015, officially declaring the crash an accident with the presumption that all 239 people onboard had perished.

In 2016, the families of 75 passengers filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Airlines Berhad.

They sought compensation for losses, the establishment of a search and rescue fund, and other claims, resulting in a total of 78 cases.

With multiple mediation rounds during the trial, the families of passengers in 47 cases reached settlements and withdrew their lawsuits.

The rulings were deteremined in accordance with the Montreal Convention and relevant Chinese laws, stated Bernama.

The search for MH370 will resume on Dec. 30, 2025 as stated by Malaysia's Transport Ministry on Dec. 3.

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Top photo from Saim Munib/Unsplash.