Asiana Airlines, flight attendant ordered to pay passenger $136,000 for burns from instant noodle soup

Asiana Airlines and one of its cabin crew were ordered by a South Korean court to pay 109.6 milliion won to a passenger who suffered burns after instant noodle soup was spilt on her. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/ASIANA AIRLINES

SEOUL - South Korea's Asiana Airlines and one of its flight attendants have been ordered by the court to jointly pay a passenger 109.6 million won (S$136,000) for burns from instant noodle soup.

The flight attendant had accidentally spilled the soup onto the female passenger, and as a result, she suffered second and third-degree burns from her lower abdomen to her thigh and private parts, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday (Jan 17).

The court heard that the passenger, who is surnamed Chang, was travelling from Incheon to Paris in business class on March 17, 2014.

Ms Chang filed the suit the following year, demanding about two million won in damages, said Yonhap.

In her lawsuit, Ms Chang said that the plane did not have emergency supplies to handle burns. She had to rely on ointment, a bag of ice and a few pain relief tablets until she reached Paris.

Ms Chang, who worked as a fashion model before the incident, also argued that it would be difficult for her to recover fully even if she underwent skin grafts for the next 10 years, according to Yonhap.

Having a normal married life would also be tough, she said, because the burns on her private parts would pose potential problems in terms of pregnancy and delivery.

In its argument, Asiana Airlines said the incident happened because Ms Chang had knocked the tray carrying the instant noodle. The carrier also said that it had provided her with emergency medical help following instructions from a doctor on the flight, reported Yonhap.

The Seoul Eastern District Court ruled in favour of Ms Chang on Wednesday and ordered a total payment of 109.6 million won in damages.

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