Following a recent tragic plane crash, a legal expert has commented on Air India’s decision to provide immediate financial assistance to the families who lost loved ones.
Yesterday (June 12), a UK-bound flight, carrying over 200 passengers, crashed shortly after its departure from Ahmedabad, a city in western India.
It has been confirmed that from the 242 passengers on board the Air India flight, only one person survived the catastrophic event.
As a response to the tragedy, Air India announced plans to promptly compensate the families of the victims.
In a statement from Tata Group, Air India’s parent company, the airline’s chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed: “We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171.”
“No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured,” he added.
He further stated: “Tata Group will provide ₹1 crore [$116,000] to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical’s hostel.”
The rapid response from Air India has caught some by surprise, yet legal expert Sarah Stewart remarked that such actions are not out of the ordinary.
Sarah, an expert in aviation law from Stewarts Law, explained to UNILAD: “Early offers of compensation are not unusual and it’s something we’ve seen before, for example in the Singapore Airlines turbulence case. It’s too early for grieving families to be considering offers of compensation, recent reports show a survivor.”
“When the time is right, they will want to seek specialist legal advice before accepting any offer of compensation as it may limit their rights down the line. It’s better to wait for investigations to progress so that we understand fully what happened on that flight,” she advised.
In response to the incident, several global leaders have shared their condolences, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The ill-fated flight included 53 British citizens, 169 Indian nationals, seven travelers from Portugal, and one Canadian, and was en route to London’s Heathrow Airport.
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” Keir Starmer stated.
“I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” he continued.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sympathies on Twitter: “Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy.”
“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti,” Modi wrote in another tweet.
The sole survivor of the crash was 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
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