The nation’s No. 2 airliner, Asiana Airlines, on said Sunday it plans to offer $10,000 in compensation to all passengers who were aboard the Boeing 777 plane that crashed in San Francisco last month.

“The compensation is a minimum payment to cover medical expenses and inconveniences,” Asiana official said. They added that passengers may still file lawsuits after accepting the compensation, including those who were not injured.

The air carrier’s move came as its plane, carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members, crashed on July 6 when its tail hit a seawall at the end of a runway at San Francisco International. Some 180 were injured and three were killed.

The Montreal Convention obligates airliners to provide a prepayment of compensation in the case of an aviation accident involving injuries or death.

(jemmie@heraldcorp.com)