Air India Initiates Process to Return Personal Belongings to Families Affected by Ahmedabad Plane Crash

Air India has begun returning personal belongings to families affected by the tragic Ahmedabad air crash. This incident, which occurred on June 12 last year, involved Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashing shortly after takeoff. The crash resulted in the loss of 241 out of 242 passengers and 19 people on the ground.

Representative image

The airline is handling this sensitive process with care and precision. A spokesperson stated that Air India is collaborating with an external partner to catalogue and document items for return. Over 22,000 personal belongings have been preserved, including nearly 8,000 associated items like passports and documents linked to specific individuals.

Dedicated Portal for Families

A dedicated portal lists these items meticulously. Families have been informed via email and a website about their loved ones' belongings. Once they confirm the details, the items will be returned in a manner that respects their grief and privacy. The process began on January 5 and will continue until mid-February.

For associated items, families receive emails with photographs and details. They can choose to collect these in person from a facilitation centre in Ahmedabad or have them sent by courier. Some families have already visited the centre to collect belongings.

Un-associated Items Management

For around 14,000 un-associated items, whose ownership is unclear, Air India has created a separate web portal. This portal is accessible only to families of the crash victims through a shared link. If a family identifies an item as belonging to their kin, they can claim it online.

The spokesperson explained that these un-associated items could be collected in person at Ahmedabad or sent via courier according to family preferences. Items on display include personal effects like a toy airplane, wristwatch, plastic bangles, and more.

Emotional Connection to Belongings

A man who received the link from Air India shared his experience of going through the portal. He expressed how personal belongings hold sentimental value but did not find anything belonging to his mother, possibly due to her light luggage on that day.

The process of returning belongings has been conducted with necessary regulatory clearances. Air India's approach aims to honour the memory of those lost while providing closure to their families through this respectful initiative.

With inputs from PTI