The Karipur air crash victims’ action forum, with the support of Malabar Development Forum (MDF), is planning to launch an “intense strike” if the Air India Express authorities did not revoke the letter sent to the victims recently, terminating the company’s treatment assistance by September 17.
Edakkuni Abdurahman, General Secretary of MDF, told reporters here on Wednesday that the company was shying away from supporting around 100 seriously injured passengers, defying the Montreal Convention 1999 that underlines the rights of air passengers in the event of a mishap.
Mr. Abdurahman said the compensation offered by the airlines to the injured passengers was meagre compared to their actual treatment expenses and that representatives of the airlines were harassing the passengers, forcing them to accept what was offered and exploiting the financial burden they were already facing.
“The airline has received ₹640 crore from the insurance company. They could easily give the deserving compensation to all passengers”, said Mr. Abdurahman.
Besides the 19 deceased, there were 165 other passengers in the flight. Of them, around 100 sustained serious injuries in the incident. The airlines have allegedly paid meagre compensation and settled the claims of 81 injured passengers.
Probe report
Meanwhile, some of the passengers and the relatives of the deceased have approached the court for their rightful compensation in Dubai and the US. However, they are reportedly unable to proceed as the reason for the mishap is unknown since the investigation report on the accident is yet to be published.
“The report is being delayed deliberately so that we will not be able to approach the court. By the time it is published, they plan to settle us with the meagre compensation being offered,” said S.A. Aboobakker, president of MDF.
The passengers are yet to receive the compensation for the deceased announced by the Central government as well as the treatment assistance offered by the State government. The State had withdrawn the offer as the airline was taking care of it. Now that the airline too is pulling back, the passengers, with surgeries worth lakhs of rupees pending, are left in the lurch, said Mr. Aboobakker.
‘Pressure tactics’
“We are not demanding their charity, only what we deserve. Once the airline pays the compensation due, it need not offer treatment support any longer. The deadline given now is part of the pressure tactics to force us to agree to the meagre compensation,” said Santhosh Kumar, treasurer of MDF.
The forum is planning a barricade at the Air India office in Kozhikode at 10 a.m. on August 28, which will be followed by further protests if the airline did not withdraw its “threat.” The forum is also considering to approach the court for compensation as soon as the investigation report is published.
The Air India Express Flight 1344 from Dubai to Kozhikode crashed during landing on August 7, 2020.
