Delta Air Lines has announced a $30,000 compensation package for each passenger aboard Flight 4819 that crash-landed and caught fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
The aircraft flipped upside down upon impact but all 80 people on board, 76 passengers and four crew members, survived.
The airline confirmed the payment offer on Thursday, stating that the compensation comes with “no strings attached.”
If all passengers accept, Delta’s payout will total approximately $2.3 million. The airline also clarified that survivors remain free to pursue legal action, regardless of whether they take the payment.
The incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, sending emergency crews into rapid response mode as flames engulfed parts of the aircraft. While all passengers made it out safely, 21 individuals were taken to the hospital with injuries including back sprains, head trauma, anxiety and nausea caused by fuel exposure.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, and by Thursday morning, the last hospitalized passenger had been discharged.
One survivor, Peter Koukov of Boulder, Colorado, described the terrifying moment the plane came to a stop.
“We were upside down hanging like bats,” he told CNN. Another passenger, Minnesota paramedic Peter Carlson, recalled the crash unfolding in an instant. “In a blink, I was upside down and still strapped in,” he told CBC.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the crash. Toronto Pearson International Airport President and CEO Deborah Flint stated on Tuesday that an investigation is ongoing.
As of Thursday, officials had not provided further updates on the circumstances leading to the emergency landing.
Delta’s compensation offer comes amid growing scrutiny over passenger safety and airline accountability.
However, while the payment is good, legal experts suggest that some survivors may still seek additional damages as investigations progress.
