AN airline stewardess who sprained her back helping a passenger store her bag in an overhead locker during a flight to the United States was yesterday awarded $407,790 in worker's compensation.

District Court Judge Lugar-Mawson ruled that as a result of her injuries, Li Siu-ling, 30, would never be able to do in-flight work again, and set her loss of earning capacity at 50 per cent for 10 years.