The controversy emerged following a report in which an aviation lawyer accused the airline of “ethically outrageous” behaviour towards bereaved relatives.
Air India on Friday denied allegations that it coerced families of victims from the AI-171 crash into signing documents about their financial dependency on the deceased in an attempt to reduce compensation payouts.
The airline called the claims “unsubstantiated and inaccurate”, saying it takes “such accusations incredibly seriously” because the “support and welfare of the families impacted by this tragic incident is our number one priority”.
The controversy emerged following a report in The Guardian in which aviation lawyer Peter Neenan, who represents families of the crash victims, accused the airline of “ethically outrageous” behaviour towards bereaved relatives.
Neenan, a partner at UK law firm Stewarts that has represented families in major airline disasters including MH17 and MH370, claimed the airline’s treatment of grief-stricken families could save it at least £100m by under-compensating families.
The report quoted Neenan as alleging that relatives arriving to identify their loved ones’ remains in the days after the June 12 crash were put in a “small, crowded room” in intense heat with other bereaved families and told to fill out documentation and a complicated questionnaire asking for important financial information.
The families were not given any warning, legal advice or a copy of the documents, Neenan said. Some families have told him that Air India officials followed up with visits to their homes and asked why they had not yet completed the forms.
One relative, whose mother was killed in the crash, told The Guardian: “The conditions where they asked us to complete the questionnaire were unacceptable, in a crowded hot corridor with unsuitable chairs and desks. There was no privacy whatsoever.”
The family member added: “Air India should have done this in a more professional and compassionate manner and asked all families to seek legal advice before proceeding. However, it was implied that if we did not complete the questionnaire and submit documents then no compensation would be paid.”
Imtiaz Ali, brother of deceased passenger Javed Ali Syed, told HT he filled the form online and sent it to Air India officials via email.
“I fail to understand why the income and occupation details were required. I have filled the form but there would be many others who would face difficulty in finding such details. Also, we haven’t so far received the interim compensation from Air India,” he said, adding that his brother’s luggage and belongings have yet to be handed over to him.
Air India clarified that the request for financial information was part of a standard process to ensure that interim compensation reached the rightful beneficiaries promptly.
“Efforts are being made by the airlines to process the payment of the interim compensation (also referred to as advance compensation) as soon as possible, to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident. However, Air India cannot process these payments in an information vacuum,” the airline stated.
The carrier said it sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure advance payments are received by those entitled to them.
In an internal message to employees, Air India chief executive and managing director Campbell Wilson said the carrier has paid compensation to families of nearly two-thirds of the victims.
“Our teams have been helping families receive interim compensation. Every affected family is being directly assisted by an Air India representative, with nearly two-thirds having already received payment or are in the final stages,” Wilson told airline employees.
Air India parent company Tata Sons announced it will provide ₹1 crore each to the families of each person who died in the crash. On June 14, Air India announced it will provide interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and survivors to help address immediate financial needs.
The Air India Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed moments after takeoff on June 12, killing 260 people onboard and on the ground. The crash, one of the worst air disasters in India in decades, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India flight AI-171.
Of the 242 people onboard, 241 were killed, while the total death toll stood at 260, including casualties on the ground.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
