"They've [the Taiwanese airport authority] been added as a third party in the US litigation. It means there may be another party to share the liability," Philip Bass, SIA's legal adviser said.

An SIA Boeing Co. (B) 747-400 plane headed for Los Angeles from Taipei's Chiang Kai-Shek airport crashed Oct. 31, after it took off from the wrong runway, killing 83 of its 179 passengers and crew.

A preliminary report from investigators of the crash released February said one of the factors leading to the disaster was negligence on the part of the Taiwanese airport authorities.

So far, several victims have filed suits against SIA from US courts. SIA has declined to comment on any legal matters regarding the flight.

SIA's legal adviser, Mr Bass, who works for law firm Beaumont & Son, said that as the airline receives notices of lawsuits, it files a response. In that response, it adds the Taiwan airport as a party that might share responsibility in a counter claim.

"It's a progressive thing," Mr Bass said. "As Singapore Airlines receives notices, they name the Taiwanese to it as a third party."

Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration, which is responsible for all flight accidents on the island, expressed surprise at SIA's move.

"We haven't heard about this," Peter Hou, section chief of CAA's Planning Legal and International Affairs Division, told reporters. "We've not received anything from Singapore Airlines."

SIA has offered US$400,000 to families of people killed in the crash and US$20,000 to those who were uninjured. No offer of compensation has been given to its four injured crew members. The airlines said this is because it has applied for workmen's compensation on their behalf to the Ministry of Manpower and is waiting for a reply. As for passengers who were injured, SIA said it will consider them on a case-by-case basis.

Earlier news reports said Chicago-based law firm Nolan Law Group, which is representing 48 of the crash victims, has filed for SIA to pay each survivor or bereaved family US$140,000. This amount is separate from any damages the courts could be awarding the claimants later.

Nolan Law attorney Manuel Ribbeck said the firm believes any airline flying under the terms of the Warsaw Convention must pay victims special drawing rights amounting to US$140,000, according to the report.

The final report by the investigators isn't expected till the end of the year, which means there won't be any immediate progress in the litigation process. "It's very early days in legal terms," Mr Bass said.