MWE Correspondent
Nearly seven years after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed while en route to Nairobi, 32 Kenyan families are set to receive new compensation following a lengthy legal battle against aircraft manufacturer Boeing in U.S. courts.
Under the latest compensation arrangement, each family will receive approximately $2.73 million, equivalent to about Sh353 million, bringing the total new compensation for the 32 affected Kenyan families to $87.36 million, or roughly Sh11.3 billion.
When combined with compensation received during earlier stages of the legal process, the total amount expected to be paid to the affected Kenyan families is estimated at approximately Sh17.3 billion.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on March 10, 2019, just six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while heading to Nairobi, Kenya.
All 157 passengers and crew members on board were killed in the crash, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters involving an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft.
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Kenya recorded the highest number of fatalities among the more than 30 nationalities represented on the flight, with the disaster deeply affecting families and communities across the country.
The latest compensation agreement follows lawsuits filed in the United States by the affected families, who sought damages from Boeing over the circumstances surrounding the crash.
According to information provided in relation to the settlement, the Kenyan families were granted legal standing as crime victims within the U.S. criminal justice system after Boeing faced allegations that it had misled aviation regulators.
The compensation forms part of the lengthy legal process arising from the Flight 302 disaster and the scrutiny surrounding Boeing’s conduct and regulatory disclosures.
The March 2019 crash involved a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and was followed by intense international investigations and regulatory action concerning the aircraft type.
The disaster, together with the earlier Lion Air Flight 610 crash involving the same aircraft model, contributed to the worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and triggered extensive reviews of aviation safety procedures and regulatory oversight.
For the Kenyan families, the latest payments represent another stage in a years-long effort to obtain compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
