Northwest reaches settlement in Detroit snowstorm lawsuit
The Associated Press - 1/9/01

Read about original lawsuit from June 1999

Northwest Airlines will pay $7.1 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 7,000 passengers who were stranded for up to 11 hours on parked airplanes at Detroit Metropolitan Airport during a snowstorm.

Northwest, in announcing the settlement Tuesday, did not admit that its actions during the Jan. 3, 1999, storm were inappropriate, or that the alleged claims had legal merit.

The world's fourth-largest airline said it would rather put its time and money into serving customers and improving technology than fighting a long legal battle.

Last September, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Daphne Means Curtis rejected the airline's motions to throw out the case.

The court has given preliminary approval to the settlement and will hold a final hearing April 24, Northwest said. The class will receive a payment of just more than $7.1 million, which will be distributed to class members after attorney fees and other costs are paid.

More than a dozen planes -- some with overflowing toilets and no food -- were left stranded on taxiways and tarmacs at the airport after nearly 2 feet of snow covered the ground. Wayne County plows were unable to clear the airfield at the Detroit airport, Northwest's largest hub.

In June 1999, the court determined that as many as 8,000 passengers were eligible to join the class-action lawsuit, based on the number of apology letters and free flight coupons that Northwest sent out after the storm.

The Eagan-based airline reviewed its operations after the incident and said it has made changes to emergency procedures.