Air India has confirmed financial compensation packages for the families of the victims killed in the Flight 171 crash — India's deadliest aviation disaster in more than a decade.
The announcement comes as the recovery and identification of victims continue, and the investigation intensifies into why the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plunged into a residential district just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Deadliest Crash in Over a Decade Leaves Families Devastated
Flight AI-171, which had just departed for London, crashed less than a minute after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12.
Of the 242 people on board — including 230 passengers and 12 crew — only one survived. The aircraft slammed into the Meghani Nagar district, destroying a hostel for medical students and erupting into a massive fireball.
The crash also killed 29 people on the ground (as of this writing), including at least three medical students, a pregnant woman, and several local workers.
The death toll has now reached at least 274.
Air India Issues Statement
Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of Air India, confirmed in a video statement shared online that the airline, along with its parent company Tata Sons, will provide over ₹1.25 crore (approximately £106,000 or $133,000) to the families of each deceased passenger.
The flight's sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, will also receive the same compensation.
Wilson said in a video message: "To provide immediate financial support, Air India will be making an interim payment of 25 lakh rupees - or approximately £21,000 - to each of the families of the deceased and also to the survivor."
"This is in addition to the 1 crore rupees - or approximately £85,000 - already committed by Tata Sons," he continued.
The CEO then explained that the company is beginning its next stages and working with the grieving families.
"The process of reuniting next of kin with their loved ones and personal effects has begun," Wilson continued. "Our teams are working closely with the families and the authorities to help the reunification process and, where appropriate, with repatriation."
"This is an emotional process and we ask that families be given space."
“Mayday… No Thrust, Losing Power, Unable to Lift”
Authorities confirmed that the plane’s captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, issued a desperate mayday call moments after the aircraft lifted off.
In his last radio transmission, he said, per The Independent: “Mayday […] no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”
Shortly after, the plane lost altitude from just 650 feet and crashed into the student residential block. According to Samir Kumar Sinha, a senior official with the aviation ministry, air traffic control tried to respond to the pilot’s emergency call, but “there was no response.”
Black Box Recovered, Global Investigation Underway
The aircraft’s digital flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—the plane’s black boxes—were recovered from the crash site and are now under analysis. Ram Mohan Naidu, India’s civil aviation minister, stated:
“The decoding of this black box is going to give in-depth insight into what would have actually happened during the process of the crash.”
A team of four UK aviation accident experts has also arrived in Ahmedabad to assist with the investigation. Authorities expect the full probe to take at least three months, and every theory about the cause—including possible mechanical failure—is being examined.
“We Ask That Families Be Given Space”
Air India’s CEO said teams are now focused on reuniting families with their loved ones and their personal belongings.
“The process of reuniting next of kin with their loved ones and personal effects has begun,” Wilson stated. “Our teams are working closely with the families and the authorities to help the reunification process and, where appropriate, with repatriation. This is an emotional process and we ask that families be given space.”
Over 100 caregivers and 40 engineers have been deployed to Ahmedabad, and assistance centres have been opened in London, Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad to support relatives of passengers and crew.
“The technical team is now helping at the site and caregivers are providing support to families,” Wilson said. “Many more caregivers are travelling to Ahmedabad to provide further support.”
Frustration Grows as Families Await Remains
At the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, where the bodies are being identified, emotions are running high. Hundreds of grieving families have submitted DNA samples but are still waiting to claim their loved ones.
Anil Patel, who lost his only son and daughter-in-law in the crash, expressed his anguish over the delay.
“We still don’t know exactly when we’ll get the body,” he said. “Even yesterday, when I was sitting outside the postmortem block, I could smell the stench of charred bodies from inside. It’s hard to accept that my son is also lying in there.”
Patel, who lost his wife to cancer six years ago, said Harshit and Pooja, both in their 30s, were “all I had left.”
“I just want to bring them home soon. The longer they stay there, the more they’ll deteriorate. I just can’t bear the thought.”
Hospital officials explained that the identification process is complex due to the condition of many remains.
“We are dealing with at least 250 samples, and for each match, we have to cross-verify it against this entire pool. It’s a process of elimination, and that naturally takes time,” said one official.
Survivor Recounts Horror From Hospital Bed
The only surviving passenger, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh from Leicester, remains under observation but is expected to recover soon. Speaking from his hospital bed, he described waking up amid the wreckage: “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.
"Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Dr Gameti of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital confirmed that Ramesh is “doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon.”
“We Are Devastated by This Loss”
In his statement, Wilson expressed deep sorrow for the tragedy.
“All of us at Air India are devastated by this loss and grieve for those affected near families and their loved ones,” he said. “Air India will continue to do everything it can to care for those affected by this tragedy and to uphold the trust placed in us.”
The airline is also undergoing mandatory safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet, as directed by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), per The Economic Times.
“Air India is also in the process of completing precautionary safety checks on Boeing 787 aircraft as directed by our regulator,” Wilson confirmed. “We will complete all checks within the timelines prescribed.”
Our thoughts continue to go out to every person impacted by this tragedy.