Southwest Airlines gave passengers on board Flight 1380 a $5,000 cash settlement and $1,000 travel voucher after an engine explosion caused a woman’s death.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly sent a written apology to the 142 surviving passengers for the “circumstances” surrounding Flight 1380 and offered to help return their luggage, the Daily Mail reported Friday.
Shrapnel from the plane’s blown out engine smashed a window, causing a 43-year-old mother of two children to be sucked through the hole in the plane. The mother, Jennifer Riordan, died in the incident.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are trying to determine the cause of the explosion but stressed their priority is to assist the survivors affected by the explosion.
“On behalf of the entire Southwest Airlines Family, please accept our sincere apologies for the circumstances surrounding Flight 1380 on Tuesday morning April 17th,” the statement read in part.
“In this spirit, we are sending you a check in the amount of $5,000 to cover any of your immediate financial needs. As a tangible gesture of our heartfelt sincerity, we are also sending you a $1,000 travel voucher which can be used for future travel.”
The airline gave the settlement to every passenger over the age of 18, but it is unclear whether the pilot or crew members will receive monetary compensation as well.
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