Tata Sons sets up Rs 500 crore memorial trust for Air India crash victims' families

In a statement, Tata Sons said it has formalised and completed the registration of a public charitable trust in Mumbai.

Tata Sons has on Friday established ‘The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’ in Mumbai, a public charitable trust dedicated to supporting the victims and families affected by the tragic Air India flight AI-171 accident in Ahmedabad. The initiative, jointly supported by Tata Sons and Tata Trusts with a combined pledge of Rs 500 crore (Rs 250 crore each), aims to provide both immediate relief and long-term assistance.

Tata Sons said that the trust will be called ‘The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’ and it will provide both immediate and continuing support to the dependents/next-of-kin of the deceased, to those who were injured, and to all others who are directly or collaterally affected by the accident.

The Trust will extend aid to the dependents of the deceased, injured passengers, and individuals directly or indirectly impacted by the tragedy. It will also support trauma recovery efforts for first responders, healthcare workers, and disaster relief personnel involved in the aftermath.

Philanthropic measures under the Trust include an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore for each deceased individual, medical care for the seriously injured, and the reconstruction of the damaged B.J. Medical College Hostel.

The Trust will be governed by a five-member board. Initial appointees include former Tata executive S. Padmanabhan and Tata Sons’ General Counsel Sidharth Sharma. The Trust’s activities will begin in full swing after necessary regulatory approvals and formalities are completed.

Meanwhile, Air India on Wednesday announced the successful completion of precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across its fleet of Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

The inspections were conducted in compliance with a directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, July 14. Air India further confirmed that all of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft have also undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacements as part of Boeing's prescribed maintenance schedule. The Fuel Control Switch is an integrated part of the TCM.

In its message to pilots, the airline emphasised the importance of ongoing vigilance, urging crew members to report any anomalies through the existing Technical Log process or via the Coruson safety reporting tool.

"Please continue to remain vigilant and report any defect in the Technical Log, as per the existing reporting process. The Coruson tool is also available, should there be any concerns identified during operations," the communication added.

Air India also extended its appreciation to its flight and engineering teams for their continued commitment to operational safety, stating, "Once again, thank you for your professionalism and commitment to safety."