Air India expediting compensation for plane crash victims: CEO Wilson

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline is expediting compensation for the June plane crash victims in a 'fair and well-managed way'. 70 of 180 families have been paid, with documentation and recipient identification pending for the rest.

Air India is making all efforts to ensure that compensation given to the families affected by the plane crash in June is expedited, airline's chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) Campbell Wilson has said, noting that it is being done "in a fair and well-managed way". At a roundtable with select media in the national capital on Monday, Wilson informed that Air India has already provided compensation to 70 families, and it is in the process for 50 more families. Of the 180 families affected by the crash, documentation work is pending for the remaining families. He said a significant task during the processing is identifying the "appropriate recipient."

'Fair and Well-Managed Process'

"We want to expedite the process, but we need to do it in a fair and well-managed way. In some cases, there are different people within the families, and we need to help them come to a decision on who is the appropriate recipient," he said. "So the compensation process, obviously, is something that we very much want to expedite. But we need to do it in a fair and well-managed process. And that requires some information from the families. It requires some validation. In some cases, within the families, there are different people. And we need to work through that process and help the families come to the landing on who is the appropriate recipient. So we need to just work through this process at the pace that the recipients are able and comfortable and willing to go. So as I say, we've already dispersed about, well, actually 70 families," he added.

Interim Financial Support

Soon after the tragic crash in June in which 260 people were killed, Air India announced an interim payment of Rs 25 lakh to each of the families of the deceased and to the survivor. The Tata Group had announced an immediate financial support of Rs one crore for the aggrieved families.

Crash Investigation Update

On November 13, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that the investigation into the Air India Ahmedabad crash is being conducted by Indian authorities, in accordance with the mandate laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). (ANI)

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