Three Million Euros in Aid Approved for Helios Crash Families
The Cabinet has approved three million Euros in aid to the families of those killed in Helios Airlines Flight 522 crash in August, 2005.
There were 103 Cypriots and 12 Greek nationals on board the doomed flight.
Criticism was heaped on the government after the recipients of compensation in the Helios crash had their deposits sheared in the 2013 banking bail-in. The victims’ families suffered financial hardships in the wake of this second national tragedy - the economic and financial crash in Cyprus.
The financial aid will be paid out in five equal annual installments.
Tragic errors
Helios Airways Flight 522 crashed in Greece on August 22, 2005, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board. The plane’s crew and passengers fell unconscious due to a lack of oxygen after the pilots failed to notice a technical error on a switch in the air pressure system. By the time the oxygen masks were released, it was too late.
Prior to the crash, there were several news reports about safety and negligence issues at the airline. The complaints were about problems in air pressure and excessive coldness in the Boeing 737-300 during flights. The company denied the reports though, and the civil aviation authority was slow to act.
The authority has obviously learned from the experience because when the new budget airline Cobalt had technical problems this summer, it quickly launched an investigation.
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