editor_nz
Air India has refuted allegations that it pressurised families to receive compensation after Rupani’s daughter has raised concerns about the matter. Air India has denied it had put pressure on the families to take the payment after Rupani’s daughter raised concerns over the matter.
Air India has refuted allegations of coercion by the airline in its efforts to secure financial settlements from the family members of persons killed in the AI-171 Ahmedabad plane crash, after the daughter of former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, Radhika Mishra, who was one of the victims of the tragedy, raised such a concern.
The issue came up after Mishra is alleged to have written a letter to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressing his concerns on the compensation procedure being provided to the families of the crash victims. In the reports, she asked for provisions that would necessitate waiving her right to go forward with any legal action against Air India, the aircraft manufacturer, or any other entity.
Addressing the concerns, Air India said there is no obligation or deadline for the families to accept the last offer of compensation by the airline. Affected families can wait for the results of the ongoing investigation conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) before taking any decision on accepting the settlement, the carrier said. The airline also insisted that the settlement model is in line with the industry and is designed to offer legal finality to compensation packages without stopping families from holding airlines accountable.
The issue has brought to the fore once more the question of the compensation mechanisms after huge aviation disasters. Mishra is said to have told the grieving families that they should not be compelled to waive their legal rights over the dead body and avail financial compensation. She called on the airline to think again about the conditions that might restrict future legal action pending the completion of investigations into the crash.
In June 2025, the AI-171 crash occurred in Ahmedabad, killing 242 passengers and crew.The AI-171 crash, which took place in the city of Ahmedabad in June 2025, resulted in 242 people being killed, making it one of the deadliest crashes in recent years in India. Air India and Tata Group have announced interim compensation and financial assistance measures to the affected families since the accident. Earlier, the Tata Group had made an ex-post-facto payment of ₹1 crore to the families of each of the dead victims, and Air India had started making interim compensations to meet the urgent financial requirement of the families.
In the past, Air India has said that documents relating to compensation are to ensure that the beneficiaries are correct and to allow for compensation to be paid, but also said that families can seek independent legal advice before deciding what to do. The airline has also urged people to avoid the spread of misinformation on how the compensation process is done.
The recent incident raises a host of legal and ethical issues that can emerge in the aftermath of major aviation accidents, especially when it comes to determining responsibility and providing financial aid to the victims’ families. The compensation and legal proceedings discussions are likely to continue to be a sensitive topic for many of the affected families while the AAIB investigation is ongoing.
