Families Of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Finally Get Compensation Hearings In Chinese Court Nearly Ten Years After It Went Missing

People who lost family members on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370) might finally be given compensation.

A Chinese court announced it will hold hearings for payment claims later this month.

A representative for the families revealed news of the hearings on November 17 on Chinese social media.

MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Countless theories have been floated about its disappearance but no definitive conclusions have been established. The most widely accepted theory involves an intentional downing by pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah in the Indian Ocean.

Without knowing who to blame, the specific financial obligations have yet to be determined.

No charges are being made against the carrier and flight crew. However, the victims’ families are demanding compensation, mainly because the near decade-old tragedy led to them facing financial struggles.

The mother of Jiang Hui, a passenger on the flight, wrote on her Weibo social media account that court hearings would start on November 27 and proceed until the middle of December 2023.

“I hope China’s laws can bring justice to the families who have not received a penny of compensation or an apology in the past 10 years,” she said. “The disappearance of 239 lives, including 154 Chinese people, is a shame.”

Chinese law provides judges with a large scope to impose financial penalties when it is impossible to decide on criminal punishment.

Online postings suggest that the case will be heard at the Chaoyang District Intermediary Court in Beijing.

In November 2022, plane debris washed up on a beach in Madagascar. It was later determined that the wing part was likely from MH370.