New Delhi: Air India (AI) is offering monetary compensation to families of victims who died in the AI 171 crash on June 12, 2025, on the condition that families waive their right to pursue legal action against the airline and its manufacturer. Radhika Mishra, daughter of former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, who was among the 242 passengers killed, alleged the airline is asking relatives of the deceased to sign final settlement documents before the official investigation around last year’s Ahmedabad crash has concluded.In an email to Tata Sons and AI chairman N. Chandrasekaran, reviewed by The Economic Times, Mishra asked the airline to drop such efforts. “We deserve more than compensation. We deserve answers. We deserve transparency and above all closure,” she wrote.Also read: Plane in Air India Ahmedabad Crash Had History of Failures, Aviation Safety Campaigners Tell US SenateShe further argued that the document, which demands families to permanently waive all present and future claims, is pressuring them to choose between immediate financial support and truth.According to The Times of India, the email states that the receipt, discharge and indemnity (RDI) document provided to families, includes not only Air India, but also other complicit parties such as Boeing, General Electric Company, G.E. Aerospace, Safran S.A., Honeywell International Incorporation, the Union of India and other agencies, Ahmedabad International Airport, insurers and several other third parties.Mishra emphasised the binding nature of agreement, even if the ongoing investigation reveals new evidence or unknown circumstances concerning the incriminated parties, makes it unviable and unfair.“Families are required not only to release claims but also to indemnify the released parties against future claims,” she wrote, questioning why there is a push to obtain final releases before the whole truth is uncovered.Moreover, the email inquired whether families would be eligible to receive financial support without having to give up their legal rights, asking the airline to reconsider its unjust indemnity provisions.AI 171 was flying from Ahmedabad to London when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed mere seconds after taking off, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew onboard, along with 19 other students when the plane fatally plunged into the nearby B.J. Medical College.Also read: Air India Dreamliner Grounded After Fuel Switch Malfunction, Casts New Light on Ahmedabad Crash ProbeIn its response to Mishra, reviewed by TOI, AI claimed that there was no “deadline or pressure on any family or individual to accept the offer within a set timeframe.”The airline said some families had even chosen to wait until the investigation report is released, however AI is not aware of when that would be as the investigation is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) independently.“In light of numerous requests that we received and conscious of our own obligations, we felt that it would not be fair to families who wish to proceed with final compensation is we were to put the process on hold indefinitely,” the airline clarified.Regarding the troubling indemnity clause protecting third parties, AI said, “The wording used in the RDI mirrors the usual approach commonly taken by airlines, both internationally and in India. It is also aligned with the approach used in unfortunate air accidents and tragedies that have previously taken place at Air India when it was publicly owned that such RDI documents contained a broad release naming the airline, equipment manufacturers, airport operators, government agencies, et cetera.”The airline added though it did not intend to shield anyone from legal liability, the clause was framed to ensure that “settlements of final compensation are indeed final and to protect Air India from receiving any direct claims (from other family members) or indirect claims (from equipment manufacturers, suppliers, et cetera.) in the future, despite families having entered into a final settlement with Air India,” reported TOI.Air India claimed it started giving interim compensation shortly after the crash to cover immediate financial needs and an AI 171 Memorial and Welfare Trust has been set up by the Tata group, which has “disbursed ex gratia financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to nearly all of the families who lost loved ones in the accident, as part of their philanthropic commitment.”The ET report highlighted that as part of the Montreal Convention, the airline is liable to 151,880 special drawing rights (SDRs) per victim, amounting to nearly Rs 1.9 crore. Lawyers handling the case have said this figure can increase if negligence is successfully proven.