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Air France to compensate victim families

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-20 13:01

PARIS: Air France said Friday it would give about 17,500 euro ($24,000) as an advance to the families of each of the 228 victims of the crash of Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Remains of some of the 228 dead, and hundreds of pieces of wreckage reclaimed from the sea off Brazil are helping experts build a picture of what happened to the Airbus A330.

But much hope still is pinned on the relentless international search for the plane's missing flight recorders, which should provide vital data. Air France chief executive Phillipe Gourgeon said that finding them was the essential objective now.

A Brazilian Navy diver checks a piece of debris from Air France flight AF447 out of the Atlantic Ocean, some 745 miles (1,200 km) northeast of Recife, in this handout photo distributed by the Navy June 17, 2009. [Agencies]

In an interview broadcast on RTL radio, Gourgeon also said, "We are going to be very focused on the first advance of about euro17,500 that is paid for each victim." He added there were no strings attached to accepting the advance.

Related readings:  Autopsies suggest Air France jet broke up in sky  French: 400 pieces of Air France debris found  49 bodies retrieved so far from doomed Air France jetliner: Brazil  Forensic analysis indicates Air France Flight 447 did not blow up  4 travelers missed doomed Air France Flight 447

Air France also is looking into holding a memorial for all the victims of the May 31 crash, Gourgeon said.

Some families of French victims have accused Air France of a lack of sympathy and of failing to provide them with timely information on the crash investigation.

The airline's lawyers are contacting the families of the victims, from 32 countries, to make sure the advance money gets to them.

Contacting them is no easy matter, Gourgeon said. Sometimes the only contact number for a victim is from a mobile phone that was lost in the crash.

Searchers from Brazil, France, the United States and other countries are methodically scanning the Atlantic for signs of the plane, which crashed into the sea after flying into thunderstorms.

A Brazilian naval ship arrived in the coastal city Recife, carrying a significant amount of debris and passengers' baggage, the military said in an e-mailed statement. No other details were available.

The material would immediately be made available to French investigators, it said.

The search for bodies and debris continued under good weather conditions, though storms are expected in the coming days, the military said.

There were no reports of any major finds overnight.

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