Air India has confirmed financial compensation for families of the victims killed in the crash of Flight 171, India\u2019s deadliest aviation disaster in over a decade, as the nation grapples with the scale of the tragedy and a multi-agency investigation begins to unfold.<\/p>\n
Compensation Confirmed: Over \u20b91.25 Crore Per Victim
\nIn a video statement shared online, Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson confirmed that each family of a deceased passenger will receive over \u20b91.25 crore (approx. \u00a3106,000 or $133,000) in financial compensation. This is in addition to the \u20b91 crore already pledged by parent company Tata Sons, per the New Indian Express.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a gesture,\u201d Wilson said, \u201cbut a commitment to stand by the families in their hour of unimaginable grief.\u201d<\/p>\n
Search and Reunification Underway
\nEfforts are now focused on reuniting families with loved ones and their belongings. Wilson noted that the reunification and repatriation process has begun, with Air India deploying more than 100 caregivers and 40 engineers to Ahmedabad. Support centres have also been opened in London, Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.<\/p>\n
Credit: Ritesh Shukla \/ Getty Images.
\n\u201cThis is an emotional process,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cWe ask that families be given space and privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Final Words: \u201cNo Thrust, Losing Power\u201d
\nAuthorities have confirmed that Flight 171\u2019s captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, issued a distress call moments after takeoff. His final radio transmission: \u201cMayday\u2026 no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.\u201d<\/p>\n
The aircraft had barely reached 650 feet before plummeting into the residential block. According to officials, air traffic control attempted to respond, but there was no reply.<\/p>\n
Black Boxes Recovered, International Probe Underway
\nBoth the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, known as the \u201cblack boxes\u201d, have been recovered and are under analysis. India\u2019s civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the contents of the black boxes \u201cwill offer vital insight into what occurred in those final seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
A team of UK aviation experts has also joined the investigation, which is expected to span several months. Authorities have not ruled out mechanical failure or other causes.<\/p>\n
Grief and Frustration Mount at Ahmedabad Hospital
\nAt Ahmedabad\u2019s Civil Hospital, where victims\u2019 remains are being identified, families are enduring an agonising wait. Many bodies were severely burned, making identification reliant on DNA testing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve given our samples, but no one can tell us when we\u2019ll get them back,\u201d said Anil Patel, who lost both his son and daughter-in-law in the crash. \u201cI can still smell the bodies from outside the postmortem ward. It\u2019s unbearable.\u201d<\/p>\n
His wife died six years ago. \u201cThey were all I had left,\u201d he said. \u201cI just want to take them home.\u201d<\/p>\n
New Delhi, India \u2013 August 10: Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer of Air India Ltd., (left) and Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Air India Ltd., hold model aircrafts during an unveiling event for the carrier\u2019s rebranded look in New Delhi on August 10, 2023. (Photo by Manish Rajput\/ The India Today Group via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Hospital officials said the identification process is progressing but remains complex. \u201cEach DNA sample must be cross-verified against a large pool. It\u2019s painstaking, but we must be certain,\u201d said one administrator.<\/p>\n
Air India to Undergo Fleet-Wide Checks
\nAs investigations continue, India\u2019s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India to perform precautionary safety checks on all Boeing 787 aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese checks are already underway and will be completed within the timelines prescribed,\u201d Wilson confirmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe Are Devastated\u201d
\nIn closing his remarks, Wilson conveyed the airline\u2019s sorrow: \u201cAll of us at Air India are devastated by this loss. We mourn with the families, and we are committed to doing everything we can to honour those we\u2019ve lost.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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