Delta Air Lines Offers $30,000 to Passengers of Toronto Crash

Image credits: Transportation Safety Board of Canada/AP

Delta Air Lines has announced that it will be offering $30,000 to each passenger on board the flight that crashed in Toronto, with no strings attached. The flight, which was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, crashed on landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, leaving 76 passengers hanging upside down from their seatbelts. Fortunately, all 80 people on board, including four crew members, survived the accident, with 21 passengers taken to the hospital and later released. The total payout for the airline would be approximately $2.3 million if all passengers accept the offer.

The airline has stated that the payment offer does not preclude passengers from bringing lawsuits against Delta for the incident. In fact, several passengers have already retained law firms to represent them in potential lawsuits. The payment offer is pursuant to international treaties, including the Montreal Convention, which governs flights and incidents concerning injuries and deaths to passengers. According to the treaty, airlines are required to make advance payments to customers to meet their immediate economic needs. The treaties also state that carriers are not able to limit liability where damages do not exceed 151,880 Special Drawing Rights, or slightly under $200,000.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada leading the probe and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) assisting. Video footage appears to show the plane landing hard on the snow-covered runway, which then led to the jet bouncing and flipping over, coming to a halt with its belly up. The investigation will examine the wreckage and runway, as well as the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, to determine the cause of the accident. Delta CEO Ed Bastian has confirmed that the crew of the Endeavor-operated flight was an experienced crew that performed heroically during the incident.

Aviation experts have credited the safety features of modern aircraft, including breakaway wings and reinforced seats, with helping to prevent fatalities in the crash. The fact that there were only minor injuries shows that passenger jet design and engineering have greatly improved over time. Fuel tanks are stored in the wings, which are designed to break off in a crash to remove a seriously explosive hazard. The seats and seat belts also helped to prevent fatalities, with passenger jet seats designed to withstand impacts of up to 16 times the force of gravity.

The incident has raised questions about airline safety and the measures in place to prevent such accidents. However, experts have pointed out that air travel remains the safest form of transportation, with the odds of getting injured or killed in a commercial airline accident far less than driving in a car. The crew's quick and calm response to the emergency has also been praised, with many passengers crediting them with helping to evacuate the plane safely. As the investigation continues, passengers who were on board the flight will be waiting to see what caused the accident and what measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.