No satisfaction for owner of broken porcelain

A Beijing resident has been compensated 500 yuan ($82.45) for damage caused by an airline to his antique porcelain, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

In April 2013, a passenger surnamed Liu embarked on a Xiamen Airlines flight from Beijing to Fujian province. He had checked luggage with three pieces of antique porcelain; upon arrival, he found that the items had been broken during the flight. The porcelain items had allegedly been produced in the Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties, and were valued at five million yuan, he claimed.

Liu filed a lawsuit against the airline, who only offered to compensate him 500 yuan based on the weight of the porcelain.

The Chaoyang People's Court ruled that Liu's damages should be limited to 500 yuan because he could not prove the value of the porcelain without an official appraisal and because he did not get the luggage insured.