TWO years after a Lauda Airlines Boeing 767-300 broke up over Thailand, killing everybody on board, at least six Hongkong families have still to receive full compensation payments.
Flight NG004 was travelling from Hongkong to Vienna via Bangkok when a malfunction in its engine reverse mechanism caused it to disintegrate in mid-air on May 26, 1991.
Although Lauda Air and US-based aircraft manufacturers Boeing came to a joint settlement at least 14 months ago with the families of most of the 232 victims, money has not yet been paid to around 20 of the families where children are claimants.
''When you represent people under the age of 18, any settlement must be approved by a court because the airline and manufacturing companies want to protect themselves from any further claims,'' said Mr Neil Taylor, of law firm Sinclair Roche.
The firm represented almost all the relatives of the 52 Hongkong residents killed.
He said relatives of six Hongkong victims had still not received their money. The cases were due to appear before the Hongkong High Court ''within the next couple of months''.