Air India Completes 95% of Interim Compensation Payments to Families of Ahmedabad Plane Crash Victims

A total of 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, lost their lives in the devastating Ahmedabad plane crash incident.

Gurugram:

Air India's Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson announced on Monday that interim compensation has been distributed to 95 percent of families affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred in June this year.

The catastrophic incident claimed 260 lives, including 241 passengers and crew members, when an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12. The flight, operating as AI171, left only one survivor.

During a press briefing on Monday, Wilson confirmed that 95 percent of the affected families have received their interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh per victim. Additionally, approximately 70 families have already received the compensatory payment from the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust.

The compensation structure includes Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation provided by the airline for each victim, while a separate compensatory payment of Rs 1 crore is being distributed to each affected family.

Out of 180 families affected by the crash, the compensatory payment process has been completed for 70 families, is currently in process for 50 families, and documentation remains to be completed for the remaining families.

"Our commitment to those who have had a loss whether they were on ground or in the air will continue for as long as it takes," Wilson emphasized. The crash also resulted in 19 casualties among people who were on the ground at the time of the incident.

The Tata Group has established The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust specifically dedicated to supporting the victims of this plane crash.

Following the accident, Wilson stated that the airline has conducted a comprehensive review of all its practices to identify potential areas for improvement.

The preliminary investigation report is currently the only official documentation released thus far. Wilson noted that this report did not include recommendations for changes to be implemented by the airframe manufacturer, engine manufacturer, or the aircraft operator. "So in that context, the official investigation to date has not said that anything needs to change," the airline's CEO and MD explained.

On July 12, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report, revealing that the fuel supply to both engines of the aircraft was cut off within a one-second interval, resulting in confusion in the cockpit immediately after takeoff.

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report stated.

When questioned about recent issues affecting Boeing Dreamliners, Wilson expressed confidence in the aircraft, stating there is no particular concern.

"We are very confident about the aircraft. And I think if you do some research, the RAT deployment was one of 31 events that has happened across the worldwide fleet. It is not anything that is of particular concern," he remarked.

Wilson emphasized that the airline is committed to ensuring their aircraft operate as reliably as possible.

"We are in constant contact with all of the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), whether it's aircraft engines, components, to ensure that we don't see any such unusual events," he added.

Currently, Air India operates a fleet of 32 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.