Germanwings Crash: Court Rejects Families’ Further Compensation Claim

HANOVER, Oct 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- A German court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking additional compensation for relatives of victims of the Germanwings crash that killed 150 people in 2015, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The Braunschweig Regional Court found that relatives can pursue claims against Germanwings but are not entitled to compensation from the German government.

The presiding judge referred to the Montreal Convention, which governs liability in international air travel.

On March 24, 2015, a Germanwings aircraft travelling from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members on board.

Most of the victims were from Germany and Spain.

Investigations established that the co-pilot deliberately steered the Lufthansa subsidiary’s aircraft into a mountain.

Thirty relatives are seeking up to €110,000 (US$124,000) from the German government.

The plaintiffs argue that the co-pilot’s fitness to fly was not adequately monitored at the time and that aviation medical assessments were not sufficiently thorough with regard to possible mental illness.

However, the court had given the plaintiffs little cause for optimism when proceedings opened.

The court warned that it considered the lawsuit to have no prospect of success and that claimants would be better placed to pursue their claims against the airline.

The civil case was heard against the state in Lower Saxony because the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) is based in Braunschweig.

-- BERNAMA-dpa