Victim relatives angry as Air India appeals against compensation order
16 Aug 2011
Dubai: Air India filed an appeal last week challenging the Kerala High Court's 20 July order directing it to pay compensation as per provisions of the Montreal Convention within a month. The appeal comes as a shock for relatives of the victims as Vyalar Ravi, the civil aviation minster, had earlier welcomed the ruling.
The court ordered a minimum of Rs75 lakh compensation for the dependents of each deceased. Air India has already facilitated an initial payment for victims, some of whom have refused to accept the amounts offered.
158 people died in the Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore flight crash on 22 May 2010.
Representatives of the Malabar Pravasi Coordination Council, which has been lobbying for the victims' kin, said the appeal exposed Air India's ''double standard''.
Representatives of the Mangalore Crash Victims' Families Association said they would continue the legal battle till all dependents of the victims got justice.
According to legal representatives of the petitioners, the appeal would be heard on 16 August.
.webp)
