Air India has refuted claims that families of the victims of the AI-171 Boeing crash in Ahmedabad are being coerced into signing legal waivers in return for compensation. The airline clarified that there is no rush or obligation for anyone to accept its final settlement offer. Gujarat’s former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s daughter had alleged that the airline was pressuring families to sign legal waivers following the crash that claimed 260 lives, including her father’s.
In response to concerns raised by some families, Air India stated that relatives are free to await the official investigation results before making a decision on compensation acceptance. The airline has already disbursed most of the interim payments and has initiated the process for final compensation, assuring families that there is no fixed deadline or compulsion to accept the offer within a specific timeframe.
Air India emphasized that the language in its Receipt, Discharge & Indemnity (RDI) document aims to ensure the finality of compensation settlements and safeguard the airline from potential future claims, rather than shield manufacturers or other third parties from legal liabilities. The airline has provided interim payments of Rs 25 lakh (21,000 GBP) each to the families of the deceased to assist with immediate financial requirements.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced ex gratia financial aid of Rs 1 crore for the families of all the deceased, surpassing legal compensation obligations as part of Tata Group’s charitable commitments. Ex gratia payments of Rs 1 crore have been given to 91% of the deceased families, with the remaining cases primarily involving incomplete documentation or refusals to accept the payment.
