Family Of Ethiopian Airlines Accident Victim Demands Compensation Of Up To IDR 925 Trillion

The crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines plane near the city of Debre Zeit, about 50 km south of Addis Ababa, (photo: dock.)

JAKARTA - On Friday, August 9, 2024, lawyers representing the families of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines accident in 2019 filed a very large claim for compensation, reaching 58 billion US dollars (around Rp925 trillion). These demands emerged in response to a recent settlement between Boeing and US government agencies.

The tragic accident that occurred in March 2019 involved a Boeing 737 Max aircraft and killed a total of 149 passengers shortly after taking off from Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. The accident has revealed serious problems related to the 737 Max plane, which is suspected to be linked to cost savings and a failed surveillance by Boeing.

This demand far exceeds the initial request of US$24.8 billion (Rp395.5 trillion) and aims to demand more compensation in accordance with the magnitude of the losses and suffering suffered by the victim's family. Lawyers for the victim's family argued that the settlement currently proposed by Boeing with the US Department of Justice which includes admission of guilt for criminal fraud and payment of fines between US$243.6 million to US$487 million (Rp3.8 trillion - Rp7.76 trillion) did not reflect the impact of the tragedy.

They urged the court to reject the existing deal and set a larger fine deemed appropriate to deal with the impact of this terrible tragedy. Boeing, who has admitted responsibility for the crash, had previously admitted that the 737 Max aircraft was in unsafe condition at the time.

This demand reaffirms the dissatisfaction of the victim's family towards an inadequate settlement, as well as highlights the need for greater justice and compensation in accordance with the losses suffered.

A similar accident was also experienced by Lion Air. On October 29, 2018, a major tragedy occurred when Lion Air's Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crashed in the Java Sea, shortly after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. This accident claimed the lives of all 189 people on board, including passengers and cabin crew.

The plane departed from Jakarta at 6:20 p.m. local time and lost contact with air traffic controllers about 13 minutes later. The plane crashed into the Java Sea, about 32 kilometers from the north coast of Jakarta. Search efforts were carried out immediately after reports of contact loss, but the fuselage and body parts were found at the crash site.