The Frankfurt Regional Court has dismissed claims by survivors of the Germanwings crash for compensation from Lufthansa.
The relatives of the people who died in the French Alps in March 2015 had demanded 40,000 euros for their own impairments and 25,000 euros for the fear of death suffered by their relatives on the plane in the minutes before the crash.
Anna Sophia Lang
Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.
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In court, they argued that the co-pilot who intentionally caused the crash should not have been declared airworthy.
He had a mental illness.
The Federal Aviation Authority granted him his flight license on the basis of medical certificates that attested his suitability.
According to a statement from the district court, the aeromedical experts worked for an aeromedical center operated by Lufthansa.
"No organizational failure at Lufthansa"
The district court dismissed the lawsuits against the parent company Lufthansa because the judges believed that the experts were acting in the exercise of a public office.
They are independent and not bound by Lufthansa's instructions, and there was no monitoring system.
For this reason, no organizational failure can be held against her.
The activity of the experts is determined by public law regulations.
Ensuring the safety of air traffic is a state task that is carried out by the Federal Aviation Authority.
"Therefore, only the state or the corporation that employed the doctors can be held liable," said the presiding judge.
Proceedings at the Essen District Court and at the Hamm Higher Regional Court had a similar outcome.
The decision is not final.
An appeal to the Higher Regional Court is possible.