Air India Threatening Us, Allege AI-171 Crash Victims’ Families; Airline Denies

A major controversy has erupted over the compensation process for the victims of the tragic Air India-171 crash, with families accusing the airline of pressuring them to sign legally significant documents under the threat of withholding payments. Air India has categorically rejected the allegations.

The row comes weeks after the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad, where a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down moments after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.

A UK-based law firm, Stewarts, which has been hired by more than 40 families of the crash victims, issued a statement alleging that Air India is coercing the bereaved to complete a questionnaire to receive advance compensation. The firm claims the questionnaire includes complex legal terms without explanation, particularly asking families to declare their “financial dependency” on the deceased.

“We have now heard that Air India is following up with families and pressuring them to complete the questionnaire under threats of receiving no compensation,” the law firm stated. “We are shocked and appalled that Air India is pressurising families for this information when they are at their most vulnerable.”

Stewarts, which is working with an Indian law firm in Ahmedabad, argues that the information being demanded could be used by the airline in the future to limit the final compensation amount owed to the families under international law. The firm has advised its clients not to complete the forms.

Air India has strongly refuted the claims. In a statement, the airline said it “categorically rejects these allegations and refutes them as both unsubstantiated and inaccurate.” The company stated it sought only “basic information” to establish family relationships to ensure payments are made to the correct people.

Regarding the question of financial dependency, Air India called it a “fair and necessary question” in order to process payments to “those most in need of assistance.” The airline asserted that it has been making considerable efforts to process interim compensation as quickly as possible to meet the immediate financial needs of the affected families.