ADVERTISEMENT
Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson has announced immediate financial support of ₹25 lakh, or around 21,000 British pounds, to each of the families of the deceased and also to the survivor of the Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. This is in addition to the ₹1 crore, or around 85,000 British pounds, already committed by Tata Sons.
Air India's technical and customer support team assembled in Ahmedabad on Friday, and it also appointed over 200 trained caregivers, with each family assigned dedicated assistance along with access to counselling and other services.
Wilson said the process of reuniting next of kin with their loved ones and personal effects has begun. "Our teams are working closely with the families and authorities to help the reunification process and, where appropriate, with repatriation. This is an emotional process, and we ask that families be given space," Wilson said.
The airline CEO & MD said Air India is also in the process of completing precautionary safety checks on Boeing 787 aircraft as directed by our regulator, the DGCA. "We will complete all checks within the timelines prescribed by the regulator. As has been confirmed by the authorities, the aircraft's data recorder has been recovered, which will form part of the official investigation, and Air India continues to fully cooperate with these investigations."
He also acknowledged the work done by first responders, those from many other organisations, and the Air India crew.
The update from Wilson comes a day after Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran visited Ahmedabad. Chandrasekaran said the tragic crash of Air India’s flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad is “one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history.” The crash, which killed all but one passenger onboard, along with students at the BJ Medical College in the city, Chandrasekaran described as “incomprehensible.”
“This is a very difficult moment. What occurred yesterday was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning. To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible,” said Chandrasekaran’s message. “Words are no consolation right now, but my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them.”
Meanwhile, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, in a presser held today, said all aspects of the crash will be analysed from all possible angles by a high-level committee, which will conduct the investigation. He said a five-member AAIB team was rushed to the site to investigate the crash and that it recovered the "black box" from the site at 5 p.m. on Friday.
The Union minister said the government has formed another high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary. The minister also called for extended surveillance of the Boeing 787 series.
In one of the most tragic aviation incidents, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed near Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD) shortly after take-off on June 12, 2025. Of the 242 occupants, only one passenger survived. Following the impact on the ground, the death toll has reached 270, as many of those who were injured have succumbed to their injuries.
Fortune India is now on WhatsApp! Get the latest updates from the world of business and economy delivered straight to your phone. Subscribe now.