Families of Missing Flight MH370 Passengers Sue Airline in Chinese Court
A court in China has started hearing lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines over MH370. The flight disappeared in 2014 en route to Beijing with 239 people on board. What happened to it has become one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
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00:00 almost 10 years on and Liu Shuangfeng still doesn't know the fate of her son.
00:06 He was a passenger on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
00:09 The plane bound for Beijing took off at night from Kuala Lumpur and then went off course
00:14 and disappeared over the Indian Ocean.
00:18 Now a Chinese court is hearing claims for compensation from some of the passenger's
00:22 relatives who say they didn't just lose their loved ones, they also suffered mental and
00:28 financial distress.
00:30 "The deterioration of the family's survival and life in the last 10 years.
00:37 Many of our family members have left us because of illness and lack of money.
00:43 This is very sad."
00:46 About 40 Chinese families are suing Malaysia Airlines, its insurer, plane maker Boeing
00:52 and the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.
00:55 But it's not clear what power a Chinese court can wield over these entities.
01:01 And while the lawsuits are about compensation, what the families really want is to know what
01:06 happened on March 8th 2014.
01:09 "Malaysia Airlines confirmed that this flight MH370 lost contact with Subang Air Traffic
01:20 Control at 2.40am this morning."
01:27 In 2018, four years after the incident, investigators said the plane's controls were probably manipulated
01:33 on purpose to take it off course.
01:36 But they couldn't say who was responsible.
01:40 People have found pieces of debris scattered around the Indian Ocean and its shores.
01:46 About two-thirds of those on board were Chinese.
01:49 Over the years, most families have signed settlement agreements with the airline and
01:53 received compensation.
01:55 "If you're lucky, you can keep flying. If you're unlucky, you'll die. You won't be able to fly. Your health is restricted. You'll be missing for 10 years."
02:06 What happened to MH370 is one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
02:11 But it's also created personal family tragedies.
02:15 Relatives of the passengers and crew still desperate for answers, almost a decade later.
02:22 Chris Ma and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.
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