DLH_Balance_2016_ENG - Germanwings flight 4U9525

Deepest sympathy and support for the families Long-term support for bereaved families Immediately following the accident, the Lufthansa Group adopt- ed numerous measures to improve ight safety (see page 70) and to support the of cial investigations. Likewise, the Group bundled all tasks related to dealing with the outcome of the crash and to providing comprehensive care for the victims’ family members into a Post Emergency Organization (PEO). For those bereaved families, this has resulted in a long-term offer of psychological care and psychosocial support. In addition, the Executive Board decided to extend the Lufthansa Group’s commitment to the relatives of the passengers and crew members as well as to other target groups beyond the measures taken by the PEO and the scope of legal indemni cation. Compensation It is of great concern for the Lufthansa Group to ease the accident’s material effects on the families of the victims. For this reason, Germanwings is actively working on a swift and fair settlement of all warranted claims for damages. Germanwings initially paid out 50,000 euros per passenger to the next of kin as an advance on indemni cation and will meet its responsi- bilities for compensation to their full extent. The families’ claims depend on varying legal systems according to origin or place of residence of the victims and their relatives. In each individual case, Germanwings will provide appropriate and fair compensation. Aid fund set up Lufthansa has set up an aid fund endowed with 15 million euros to support projects, initiatives and suggestions from rela- tives and other affected groups in memory of the victims. In this fund, Germanwings and Lufthansa have combined their volun- tary and long-term commitment in the wake of the accident. A board of trustees decides independently and within the framework of binding criteria on the fair and transparent allo- cation of funds as well as on the acceptance of aid proposals. Eligible for aid are measures and initiatives in support of social or cultural aims which commemorate at least one accident victim, which show a clear link to the bereaved families, or which otherwise support people or organizations affected by the accident. Five million euros, or a third of the total amount allocated to the aid fund, has been designated for the special group of orphans or half-orphans as voluntary support for school education, pro- fessional training or university studies. These bene ts are to be paid in addition to eventual (maintenance) claims. The board of trustees is chaired by Edda Huther, former president of the Bavarian Constitutional Court and the Higher Regional Court in Munich. It further comprises three representatives of the fami- lies of victims and three representatives of Germanwings and Lufthansa. The year 2015 was marked by the greatest tragedy ever in the long history of the Lufthansa Group: the crash involving Germanwings ight 4U9525 on March 24, 2015. The Lufthansa Group’s employees as well as the members of the Executive and Supervisory Boards all share the deepest sympathy for the families of the passengers and crew members. In dealing with this catastrophe, the Lufthansa Group’s focus has been on those whose lives have been affected. Easing their suffering and ensuring that such an accident never occurs again are of great concern for the aviation group.

Pages Overview