Mexico Judge Orders Airline to Pay Millions in Fatal Crash

A recent ruling by a Mexican judge has determined that the 2018 plane crash near Havana, which claimed 112 lives, was caused by severe maintenance failures. The judge ordered the owner of the aircraft, Mexican charter Aerolíneas Damojh, to pay $1.5 million in damages to the families of four Mexican crew members. The airline failed to appear in court and was tried in absentia.

An independent expert's report, which sided with the plaintiffs, classified the crash as an "institutional accident" stemming from maintenance negligence. The report noted that the pilots, tragically, were the final defense against a flight that should never have taken off. The Boeing 737 operated by Damojh, flying under the name Global Air, crashed moments after departing Havana's airport.

While Cuba had previously attributed the 2018 disaster to crew error, this ruling validates the claims of the victims' families. The lawyer for the plaintiffs stated the plane had flown for years without proper maintenance, and the crash could have occurred anywhere. The airline reportedly is filing for bankruptcy, with legal action planned if the bankruptcy is deemed fraudulent.

Further legal actions are underway, including a class-action civil suit and a criminal complaint for homicide against the company. However, the criminal investigation has reportedly stalled, awaiting information from Cuban authorities. The aircraft's insurer was named in the lawsuit but cleared of financial penalties.