Air India crash victims’ kin to form action committee

Air India crash victims’ kin to form action committee

Mangalore Today News Network

Dubai, October 28: Family members and relatives of the Air India crash victims met in Dubai again this weekend, for the second time in less than seven days, to form an action committee against the delaying tactics by airline representatives in awarding compensation.

The Air India Express flight that was flying from Dubai to Mangalore on May 22 crashed at the Mangalore airport after it overshot the runway killing 158 passengers. An investigation in the accident revealed that the incident was caused by pilot negligence.

The family members are protesting the lack of transparency and commitment from the airline and its representatives towards awarding compensation to the kith and kin of the crash victims.

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe and a UK firm are representing Air India’s insurance underwriters in compensating victims of the Air India air disaster.

Mulla & Mulla partner HD Nanavati is representing India’s national reinsurer General Insurance Corporation (GIC) in the claims, while a UK firm is acting for the international reinsurers, which according to reports is understood to include Mitsui Sumitomo.

Relatives, who had first met on Wednesday, had alleged in a press conference that Nanavati is trying to bargain with relatives in an effort to try and bring down the compensation. Some of them even alleged that compensation was being decided based on the income certificate being produced.

Relatives who met again on Friday said they would form a representative committee that would operate under the Malabar Pravasi Coordination Council (MPCC), a UAE based association representing Non Resident Indians from Kerala State.

“Our first step will be to take it up at the political level. We are planning to take up the issue up the president of India and to the President of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi. The committee will meet again and finalise these decisions,” said Abdul Rahman, who lost his wife and children in the crash.

Members have also threatened to file a legal case in the UAE, the place where the flight originated, in-order to force the officials into taking speedy action.

The Air India Express plane crash in Mangalore is estimated to result in an insurance claim that could reach Rs4 billion (Dh313m, $85m) – the largest payout in Indian aviation history – according to experts.

The Montreal convention, which India is a signatory and so is the UAE, carriers are liable for a maximum of 100,000 special drawing rights (SDR), equivalent to about $147,000 at today’s rates.

Abhay Pathak, Air India’s Regional Manager for Gulf speaking over telephone from Syria only said, “We will not be able to moment anything at this time.”

Emirates 24/7

Will they get their due?


We hear that Air India is in the news again, not for a great act but for callous, cruel and inhuman acts.

The kin of Air India’s Mangalore crash victims are up in arms against the airline and its insurance arm. It’s a shame that the airline and its insurance company are meting out injustice on the families of the air crash victims by bargaining with them over the compensation amount.

Air India or any insurance company cannot make up for the losses of the families who have lost their loved ones. Some of them were the sole bread-winners of the family. It is unfortunate and regrettable that the insurance companies are bargaining with the kin to reduce the compensation amount.

Under an international convention, families of air accident victims usually recieve a payment of about $140,000, before any lawsuits. It can be higher if a lawsuit is filed and won for higher compensation.

The industry average for an American passenger, is between $3m and $4m in compensation each. Are Indians’ ‘net worth’ so meager? Or again, is it the typical mindset of our politicians to loot from this disaster?

There are other examples of payouts to the families. In Europe, the size of the payout for the 101 German victims of the Concorde crash outside Paris last year set a precedent, because 
the families threatened to sue in the US. They received an average of $1.5m per passenger. But the payout was cloaked in secrecy until Air France’s insurance company, La Reunion Aerienne, admitted it had paid out about $150m.

Immediately after Air India’s Mangalore crash, Praful Patel, Indian Civil Aviation Minsiter promised compensation to the tune of $140,000 per victim. Why is he silent now, ignoring the anguish and tears of the dependents of these unfortunate crash victims? He is responsible and must ensure that every victims’ family gets justice.

Disregarding international conventions, regulations and to hoodwink people, Air India and the insurance company are demanding unnecessary documents  like income certificates of the victims. How can the family produce income certificates for the women who have been housewives and the little children who died in the crash? Isn’t there no value for human lives? Will the government intervene?

Air India and the insurance giant know that the dependents will not go for expensive legal battles. But denying their basic right to receive the rightful compensation is inhuman and cruel. Let us hope that justice will prevail. Let us pray for the souls of these victims,  and give solidarity to their families.

 -Joseph Kurisinkal, Dubai

 Appreciate the report, ‘Air India accused of mishandling compensation, (October 21). We are behind your endeavour to help the relatives of the deceased. We extend full support to the relatives of the Manglore air crash victims.

The media has to unite in mustering support for the relatives. Such media reports would help release the compensation faster. We should be able 
to stop the lust of politicians and stop officials from ‘robbing from the begger’s bowl’.

-Khaleejtimes, Clement Stephen, Dubai