New Delhi : Air India has firmly denied recent allegations surrounding its passenger compensation procedures, issuing an exclusive statement to a media house dismissing the claims as unsubstantiated and inaccurate. The airline clarified that a questionnaire circulated among certain passengers was intended solely to verify familial relationships.
The airline also clarified that the forms could be submitted either in person or by email and that no uninvited home visits were made. Dedicated support staff have been deployed to assist with funeral arrangements, accommodation and other logistics. Tata Group has announced a voluntary contribution of Rs 1 crore per deceased family member, and a Rs 500 crore trust is being set up to ensure long-term assistance.
The clarification comes after families of those killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash have accused the airline of pressuring them during the initial compensation process. The allegations come weeks after the June 12 disaster, which claimed 260 lives – 241 on board and 19 on the ground – shortly after the flight took off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick. It was India’s deadliest aviation incident in nearly 30 years.
Stewarts is working in partnership with Ahmedabad-based Nanavati & Nanavati, alongside US firms Clifford Law Offices and Kreindler & Kreindler, to prepare claims against Air India, Boeing, and other potentially liable parties. Peter Neenan, a partner at Stewarts, criticized Air India for distributing a detailed questionnaire that allegedly includes legal terms without explanation.
The lawyers claim families were asked to fill out the forms in “intense heat” without legal guidance and were reportedly told that failure to comply could mean no payment at all. The form asks whether the individual was financially dependent on the deceased – a question which lawyers say could affect the final compensation amount.
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