Passenger volumes have recovered from dip that followed AI-171 crash: Air India CEO

“In the first few months, yes, we did see a drop in bookings, but it has recovered. We have operated well over 100,000 flights since June. We’ve carried 15 million-odd people, so the volumes have come back…Domestic and international (both segments have recovered), with the caveat of North America and other airspace (restrictions)-affected markets because it’s very hard to ascertain what is a demand side versus a supply side impact,” Wilson said at his first interaction with reporters since the June 12 crash.

Wilson also said that 95 per cent of the victims’ families have received their interim compensation and about 70 families have been given the ex gratia payment from the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust that was set up by the airline’s parent Tata Sons. The interim compensation for the next of kin of the crash victims is Rs 25 lakh, while the ex gratia compensation is Rs 1 crore.

According to Wilson, a total of 180 affected families are there, of which 70 have received the ex gratia compensation payment, while the payment to another 50 families is under process. The documentation process is yet to be completed. The Air India CEO said that the airline wants the compensation process to be fair and well-managed.

“…the compensation process obviously is something that we very much want to expedite. But we need to do it in a fair and well-managed process. And that requires some information from the families. It requires some validation. In some cases, within the families, there are different people. And we need to work through that process and help the families come to the understanding on who is the appropriate recipient. So we need to just work through this process at the pace that the recipients are able and comfortable and willing to go,” Wilson told reporters.

The Air India CEO also said that the airline put in a lot of effort to review and improve its operations and safety practices after the crash, even as the preliminary report did not have any recommendations for Air India, planemaker Boeing, and engine manufacturer GE.

The preliminary investigation report said that the aircraft crashed after both its engines were starved of fuel as the two fuel control switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position within a second of each other moments after lift-off. From the cockpit voice recorder data, the preliminary probe report notes that one of the pilots asked the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the other pilot responded saying he did not.

To be sure, the report didn’t mention that fuel control switches—which allow and cut fuel flow to the plane’s engines—moved physically, and used the term “transitioned” to describe the change of mode from RUN to CUTOFF. It also didn’t state these were moved by either of the pilots. The investigation is on and the final probe report is expected in a few months.