Air India Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Riyadh after midair bomb threat, found to be a hoax
The airline expressed regret for the disruption caused. 'The inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption is sincerely regretted. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their intended destinations,' it added.
This marks the second hoax bomb threat received by Air India in just ten days. On June 13, flight AI 379 from Thailand to New Delhi, carrying 156 passengers, was forced to return to Phuket after a bomb threat note was discovered on the lavatory wall just 20 minutes into the flight. That aircraft, an Airbus A320, was also found to be safe after emergency procedures were followed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Ahmedabad plane crash: UK law firm Keystone flags 2 'serious' questions
Keystone Law, a London-based law firm, on Thursday (local time) flagged two very 'serious' questions in the London-bound Air India flight, which crashed on June 12, minutes after taking off, claiming the lives of at least 270 people. In a statement, Keystone Law announced that it has been formally retained by British families who lost their loved ones in the fatal crash. The two areas of concern include the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployment and loss of thrust in both engines. Air India plane crash On June 12, an Air India flight from Ahmedabad bound for Gatwick, London, crashed into a medical college in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. The crash claimed the lives of at least 270 people, including 241 people out of 242 people on board and several people on the ground. The sole survivor was an Indian-origin British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who sat on seat 11A, adjacent to the emergency exit. Ramesh managed to escape with injuries through the broken emergency exit. Considered to be Air India's worst tragedy in decades, the case is under investigation, with the Parliament Transport Committee summoning Boeing officials along with the Civil Aviation Secretary. Keystone's statement James Healy-Pratt and Owen Hanna, Keystone's aviation partners, said that they are working closely with several British families, concerning the Coronial process, adding that they are also working closely with the London lawyers, appointed by Air India and its aviation insurers, dealing with interim payments. Pratt, in a statement, said, "This is an incredibly sensitive time for the AI 171 families, and we are supporting them through the various processes in the UK and the US. On the air safety aspects, our technical investigation team believes that the RAT was automatically deployed. This suggests a serious systems failure around the critical point of take-off." He further added, "Serious questions will need to be asked of both Air India and Boeing once the preliminary report is published in the coming weeks. The families of AI 171 want truth and justice, and we stand in solidarity with them.'
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
AI 171 crash: Air India refutes allegations of forcing bereaved families to declare financial dependency
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Air India on Friday denied allegations of coercing families of victims of the AI-171 accident into signing documents about their financial dependency on the deceased to reduce compensation payouts. In a detailed statement, the airline called the claims 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate.' The controversy surfaced following reports that some of the bereaved families were being compelled to disclose financial ties to their deceased loved ones--allegedly as a prerequisite for receiving compensation. However, the airlines clarified that the request for such information was a part of a standard process to ensure that interim compensation reached the rightful beneficiaries promptly. In an official statement, the airlines stated, 'It has come to our notice that allegations have been made against the company claiming that families of the deceased in the AI-171 accident are being forced to sign papers disclosing their financial dependency on the deceased, in an attempt to slash compensation payments.' 'Efforts are being made by the airlines to process the payment of the interim compensation (also referred to as advance compensation) as soon as possible, to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident. However, Air India cannot process these payments in an information vacuum,' it added. 'To facilitate payments, the airlines have sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure that the advance payments are received by those entitled to them. Whilst the questionnaire does ask family members to indicate with a 'yes' or 'no' as to whether they are 'financially dependent' on the deceased, the airline believes that the process is entirely fair and necessary in order to process the payments to those most in need of assistance. Starting June 15, a Facilitation Centre was established by the airline at the Taj Skyline hotel in Ahmedabad, where the questionnaire relating to interim compensation was made available,' it said. 'In addition, families were sent communications informing them that the questionnaire was also available over e-mail, if families did not wish to visit the Centre. Air India staff present at the Centre explained the elements of the questionnaire to family members. There is no requirement for family members to complete the questionnaire at the Centre, and several families have chosen to complete the questionnaire at their convenience and submit it over e-mail. Families who chose to complete the questionnaire at the Centre were provided with copies of their submissions at their request, ' the airline further said. The airlines further stated that families of the victims, in addition to raising questions to the staff of the airlines, were also free to seek any legal advice if needed. Furthermore, the airlines had mentioned that the forms being filled by the bereaved families at the hospitals or morgues were completely unconnected with the compensation. However, some forms have also been filled out for official records. 'No visits have been made by the airlines to the residences of the families solely to fill up the questionnaires connected to the interim compensation or for any other purposes. Additionally, an interim compensation has been disbursed to the 47 families so far, and the airline also remains in active dialogue to expedite the release of funds to the rest of the bereaved families. The documents relating to the rest 55 individuals have also been verified, and interim compensation is being released progressively to their families. We continue to be in dialogue with other families of the passengers and those deceased at the accident site, or their authorised representatives, to release the compensation at the earliest. As a part of the Tata Group, the airline upholds core values of integrity and responsibility and remains committed to serving the community, especially during challenging times,' Air India said. 'In addition to any compensation that will be provided by Air India, the Tata Group has announced a voluntary ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore or approximately GBP 85,000 to the families of each of the deceased. A trust with a corpus of around Rs 500 crore or approximately GBP 43 million is being set up to manage and disburse this ex-gratia amount and provide long-term assistance to the families. These families will forever be part of the Tata family. All these efforts are voluntary and in addition to any compensation payable by Air India under law,' the airline said. Additionally, Air India has also urged the public to be cautious of any misinformation and avoid the misinterpretation of facts. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
Families of Air India crash victims allege compensation coercion, airline denies
Victims' families have claimed they were coerced by Air India into signing documents detailing their financial dependency on the deceased, seemingly to reduce compensation amounts read more Debris of an Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. Pic/PTI Weeks after the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad claimed 241 lives, the families of the victims have accused the airline of pressuring them during the initial compensation process. They allege Air India threatened 'no compensation' if they did not complete a company-provided questionnaire. Families also claim they were coerced into signing documents detailing their financial dependency on the deceased, seemingly to reduce compensation amounts. In response, Air India has dismissed these allegations as 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The crash occurred shortly after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing all but one of the 242 passengers and crew members on board. UK-based law firm levels serious allegations Stewarts, a UK-based law firm, has been retained by families of over 40 passengers from the UK and India. Partnering with Ahmedabad-based firm Nanavati and Nanavati, Stewarts is assisting Indian families in pursuing claims against Air India, Boeing, and other potentially liable parties, according to an official. In a statement, Stewarts reported that Air India required families to complete a questionnaire to receive an advance payment, forcing them to fill it out in intense heat without guidance on its legal terms and questions. The firm further stated that Air India has been pressuring families to complete the questionnaire, threatening to withhold compensation if they fail to comply. The questionnaire, reportedly necessary for an advance payment, includes legal terminology that the airline allegedly failed to explain, raising concerns that it could be used to minimise future compensation. 'Our clients have shown us the questionnaire. It demands legally significant information using terms with a legal definition which is not being told to families. The information being asked could be used against families by Air India in the future, even though few families will understand how the questions should be interpreted or the test that should be applied for each of the terms used," the firm said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The firm said that they have advised their clients (victim families) not to complete the form, as the company will seek payment for them. 'We are shocked and appalled that Air India is pressurising families for this information when they are at their most vulnerable," the statement said. Air India responds Air India, in its defence, has said it sought only 'basic information' from the families to establish relationships so that compensation is issued to those who are entitled. The airline explained that the question about financial dependency on the deceased was included as a 'fair and necessary' measure to prioritise and process payments for those most in need of assistance. Air India categorically rejects these allegations and refutes them as both unsubstantiated and inaccurate. Air India has been making considerable efforts to process payment of interim compensation (also referred to as advance compensation) as soon as possible, in order to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident. However, Air India cannot process these payments in an information vacuum. In order to facilitate payments, Air India has sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure that the advance payments are received by those entitled to them. Whilst the questionnaire does ask family members to indicate with a 'yes" or 'no" as to whether they are 'financially dependent" on the deceased, Air India believes this is an entirely fair and necessary question in order for us to process payments to those most in need of assistance," the Air India statement said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It said that the families can respond to the questionnaire during their physical presence at the centre established in Ahmedabad or by email. 'Starting 15 June, Air India established a Facilitation Centre at the Taj Skyline hotel in Ahmedabad, where the questionnaire relating to interim compensation is available. In addition, families were sent communications informing them that the questionnaire is also available over e-mail, in the event families do not wish to make a visit to the Centre. Air India staff are present at the Centre to explain the elements of the questionnaire to family members. There is no requirement for family members to complete the questionnaire at the Centre, and several families have chosen to complete the questionnaire at their convenience and submit it over e-mail. Those families who chose to complete the questionnaire at the Centre were provided with copies of their submissions at their request. In addition to being able to ask questions of the Air India staff at the Centre, families are, of course, free to seek legal advice should they wish to do so," the statement said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
