'Air India asking kin of crash victims to waive claims before facts known'

NEW DELHI: After investigation into Air India’s AI 171 crash of June 12, 2025, processing of claims has also come under questions from families of some of the deceased.The daughter of former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, who was among the 260 people killed in AI 171 crash last June 12, has questioned why Air India is reportedly asking relatives of the deceased to “sign full and final settlement documents before the official investigation has concluded and before the facts surrounding the accident have been fully established.”Radhika Mishra, Rupani’s London-based daughter, has in a mail to Tata Group and AI chairman N Chandrasekaran said this document “requires families to permanently waive present and future claims before all facts are known…. We deserve more than compensation…. We deserve answers…. above all, we deserve closure.”In its response to Mishra reviewed by TOI, AI has told her that “there is absolutely no deadline or pressure on any family or individual to accept our offer within a set timeframe… Families are free to wait until the investigation report has been released, as some have chosen to do.... investigation is (being) independently conducted by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and therefore AI is not aware of when the report will be released. In light of the numerous requests that we received, and conscious of our own obligations, we felt that it would not be fair to families who wish to proceed with final compensation if we were to put the process on hold indefinitely.”Rupani was flying AI 171 from Ahmedabad to meet his daughter when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed seconds after take off, killing 241 of 242 people on board and 19 others in student hostels of the B J Medical College where it had fatally plunged.“Para 1 of the receipt, discharge and indemnity (RDI) document extends far beyond Air India, seeking to discharge Boeing, General Electric Company, GE Aerospace, Safran S A, Honeywell International Inc, the Union of India including other govt agencies, Ahmedabad International Airport, insurers, and numerous third parties whose roles, if any, have not yet been established. The agreement remains binding even if future investigations uncover new evidence, findings, or circumstances that are unknown today. Families are required not only to release claims but also to indemnify the released parties against future claims…. ,” her mail says.Asking why “is there an effort to obtain final releases before the truth is known,” Mishra, a CA who lives in London with her family, has asked Tata Sons and AI to “clarify whether families can receive support without sacrificing future legal rights; reconsider the use of broad release and indemnity provisions before the completion of all investigations; ensure no family feels pressured to choose between immediate financial support and the pursuit of truth.”AI, in its response to the grieving daughter, has said: “The wording used in the RDI mirrors the usual approach commonly taken by airlines, both internationally and in India…. It is also aligned with the approach used in unfortunate air accidents and tragedies that have previously taken place at Air India when it was publicly owned that such RDI documents contained a broad release naming the airline, equipment manufacturers, airport operators, government agencies etc.”“Air India has no interest whatsoever in shielding any third parties from their legal liability. However, in such accidents, where passengers or their families seek compensation directly from third parties such as equipment manufacturers, these third parties often pursue claims against the airline. As such, the reason for the broad wording is only to ensure that settlements of final compensation are indeed final, and to protect Air India from receiving any direct claims (from other family members) or indirect claims (from equipment manufacturers, suppliers etc.) in the future, despite families having entered into a final settlement with Air India,” AI’s response reads.The airline has pointed out it started giving interim compensation soon after the crash “to meet the immediate financial needs of families. In addition, the Tata group set up AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust has disbursed ex gratia financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to nearly all of the families who lost loved ones in the accident, as part of their philanthropic commitment.”