Highlights
- Two UK-based single fathers who lost their wives in the AI171 crash sought more information about support from the memorial trust.
- They said they travelled to Ahmedabad but found the trust’s helpdesk closed.
- Air India said 238 of 260 deceased victims’ families have received the Rs 1 crore ex-gratia payment and that the trust is responding to families’ queries.
TWO UK-based single fathers who lost their wives in the Air India AI171 crash have sought clarification on assistance promised for victims’ families, saying they have not received responses from the AI171 Memorial and Welfare Trust despite repeated attempts to contact it.
An Air India spokesperson, however, said the Mumbai-based trust had been in touch with the two families over the past two weeks and that families of 238 out of the 260 victims had received the ex-gratia payment.
Flight AI171, which was travelling to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people.
The AI171 Memorial and Welfare Trust was set up after the crash. It announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 million (around £87,000) for the family of each deceased victim and financial support for rebuilding damaged hostel infrastructure at B J Medical College.
The two UK-based men said they travelled to Ahmedabad hoping to meet representatives of the trust but found the office closed and were unable to speak to any official.
Rakesh Patel, 49, a UK citizen who lost his wife Dipti Patel, 44, in the crash, said he had been struggling to care for their two children alone.
"I am a single father to two children.... it has been very difficult to manage financially while caring for them," he said.
Rakesh’s daughter has a medical condition, while his 20-year-old son Pratham is studying medicine in Hungary.
"We tried to reach the AI171 Memorial and Welfare Trust, but there was no response to our calls or emails. So I flew from the UK to meet them in person and discuss whether there could be additional support for my family," he said.
"However, when we came here, we found the office closed," he added.
He also raised concerns over changes in the rupee-pound exchange rate.
"I have not accepted the Rs 1 crore payment yet because the amount was announced on June 12. By the time the payment process was put in place, the exchange rate had changed, resulting in a financial loss for us as UK residents. Many UK-based families are facing the same issue," he claimed.
Rakesh said his daughter’s condition had added to the family’s financial pressure.
"My daughter suffers from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a genetic disorder. She requires regular hospital check-ups in the UK. As a single father, it is difficult to manage her medical expenses along with educational costs," he said.
Families seek answers
Another UK-based victim’s husband, Pinal Patel, 46, said he also travelled to Ahmedabad after receiving no response to repeated emails sent to the trust, but found the office closed.
"I wanted to understand the purpose of the Trust and how it plans to support families like ours," he said.
Pinal said he is now the sole caregiver for his three sons — a 13-year-old and nine-year-old twins.
"I wanted to know whether the Trust would provide any support for education or childcare. Many single parents among the UK-based victims’ families need such assistance," he said.
Responding to the claims, an Air India spokesperson said the AI171 Memorial and Welfare Trust was based in Mumbai.
"A helpdesk was established in Ahmedabad to assist families in relation to the ex-gratia payment announced for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the AI171 accident," he said.
The spokesperson said 238 of the 260 deceased victims’ families had received the payment, while the remaining families had either completed the required documentation or were completing the process.
"As the helpdesk in Ahmedabad was created specifically for this purpose, it does not operate as a permanent public-facing office and is attended when meetings are scheduled in advance," he said.
"The Trust remains in touch with families who have reached out for assistance, and correspondence received from families is being responded to promptly," he added.
The spokesperson said this included the two UK-based family representatives, "with whom the Trust has corresponded as recently as July 13 and July 21, 2026."
(PTI)
