MH370 Passenger's Children Accept Settlement In Case Against Malaysia Airlines, Government Agencies

Two children of a passenger on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, who had filed a lawsuit against the airline and the government agencies involved in investigating the plane's disappearance, have accepted an out-of-court settlement through their mother. The case was filed last October, alleging negligence and breach of contract, by the children of Jee Jing Hang.

The various entities named in the case included the Malaysian government, the Director-Generals of the Department of Civil Aviation and Immigration Department as well as the chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Channel News Asia reported. The details of the settlement were not immediately available but lawyers reportedly said that the case was influenced by the Malaysian government's decision to declare the plane's disappearance an “accident.” The children were aged 11 and 14 when the case was filed.

"The matter has been settled; as you’ve read, MH370 had disappeared in a mysterious way but in January the authorities have declared it an accident and also the authorities have assured the next of kin that they would be compensated fairly,” Dr. Arunan Selvaraj said Tuesday, according to Malay Mail Online, adding: “Our client, having considered her rights and legal position, has decided to accept the court compensation and move on with her life.”

It was also not clear if the settlement in the case is different from the compensation payouts that have already been distributed by Malaysia Airlines. However, according to reports, the settlement was reached after the plaintiffs agreed not to file a fresh lawsuit in the case.

Flight MH370 went missing last March on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board. Despite an unprecedented, extensive search that has cost several million dollars, the plane has yet to be found.