The parents of the two siblings were among 55 passengers who were killed when the plane crashed in Rostov-on-Don in 2016
A Dubai Civil Court has awarded AED 800,000 ($217,799) in compensation to Russian siblings whose parents were killed when flydubai flight FZ981 crashed in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in 2016.
The brother and sister had originally sought AED 73.6 million ($20 million) in compensation, with the lawsuit contending that the accident was due to professional errors by the crewmembers on-board the doomed flight.
According to a report in Gulf News, attorney Mohammad Al Hashemi filed the case after repeated attempts to reach an amicable settlement with flydubai.
In December, the case was referred to the General Civil Aviation Authority, which examined the case and whether the amount was in excess of those stipulated by the Montreal Convention, which was signed in 1999.
According to local media, Al Hashemi has said he is planning to appeal the judgement.
“Upon appeal, we will definitely be pushing for a higher amount of financial compensation,” he is quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times. “The siblings suffered a tremendous moral loss which no amount of money can make up for.”
"We are awaiting the text of the ruling to see the court's reasons for its order. After reviewing it, we will then file an appeal," he added.
In a statement, flydubai thanked the court for its judgement, and said the airline “remains committed to settling claims for compensation in accordance with applicable laws.”
“Flydubai would like to express our condolences to the family and recognise this as a poignant time for them,” the statement added. “Our long-term care team continues to remain available for as long as required.”
A total of 55 passengers – 44 of whom were Russian nationals – and seven crewmembers were on board the Boeing 737-800 when it crashed short of the runway during a second attempt to land at the airport. A first attempt to land had to be aborted due to high winds.
The flydubai statement added that the investigation into the incident is “ongoing”, and, following International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocol, “conclusions can only be drawn after the publican of the final report.”
“Until this time, the investigator in charge is the only authorised source of information relating to the investigation,” the statement added.
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