Seven years after the Air India Express crash at Mangalore that killed 158 people, families of the victims say they have been left in a state of limbo by a bitter compensation dispute. ‘We don’t look at the sky any more,’ said a mother who lost her only son. ‘Every time we hear a plane, we remember.’
The crash on 22 May 2010, when a Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway at Mangalore International Airport, was one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. But for the families, the tragedy did not end with the wreckage. A protracted legal battle over compensation has become a second ordeal.
Documents uncovered by this correspondent show that Air India, the state-owned carrier, has offered payments ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per victim. But families argue that these amounts are grossly inadequate. ‘My son was a doctor. He had a future. How can Rs 10 lakh compensate for that?’ asked a father who lost his 32-year-old son.
The airline maintains it has followed guidelines set by the Indian government and international conventions. But a source close to the negotiations told me: ‘Air India is hiding behind bureaucracy. They know the families deserve more, but they are playing hardball.’
At the centre of the row is the question of what constitutes ‘fair’ compensation. Under the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, airlines are liable to pay damages of up to Rs 20 lakh per passenger. But families argue that this cap is outdated and does not reflect the true loss of earning potential or emotional trauma.
‘We have had court hearings, mediations, and still nothing,’ said a woman who lost her husband. ‘The airline keeps delaying. They know we are tired, that we are grieving. They are using our pain against us.’
The human cost of this legal attrition is stark. Some families have not been able to afford funerals. Others have defaulted on loans their loved ones took out. ‘We sold our land to pay for legal fees,’ said one mother. ‘Now we have nothing.’
Air India did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted the process has been ‘slow and unsatisfactory.’ ‘We are aware of the families’ plight. But these are complex legal issues that cannot be resolved overnight.’
For the families, that is cold comfort. They gather every year at the crash site, a patch of land near the airport, to light candles and pray. ‘We don’t want money. We want justice,’ a father said. ‘But we have learned that justice costs money. And we don’t have any.’
As the compensation row deepens, the families say they have lost faith not just in the airline but in the system. ‘We are forgotten,’ said a sister. ‘The world moved on. But for us, the crash happened yesterday.’
The case is now before the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear arguments later this year. But for the families, the wait is a new kind of torture. ‘We don’t look at the sky any more,’ the mother repeated. ‘The sky took everything from us.’
