Air crash families to get €17.5k advance

AIR FRANCE said yesterday it would give about €17,500 as an advance to the families of the 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.

In an interview broadcast on RTL radio, Gourgeon also said: “We are going to be very focused on the first advance of about €17,500 that is paid for each victim.” He added that there were no strings attached to accepting the advance.

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.

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 off Brazil after flying into thunderstorms.