Airblue reaches out to families of victims

Airblue announces 100 airline tickets to each of the aggrieved family who lost their loved one during the plane crash.

ISLAMABAD: Airblue has announced 100 airline tickets to each of the aggrieved family who lost their loved one during the plane crash on July 28 .  The company had earlier announced cash reparation of Rs5million per family.  These steps are being taken by Airblue with an aim of rebuilding its image after its flight ED-202 crashed into Margalla Hills and killed all 152 onboard.

On September 30, Chairman Airblue Shahid Khaqan Abbasi held his first interaction with the members of bereaved families at a private hotel in Islamabad.

During the meeting he announced to give 100 airline tickets to each family, which can be used in the period of three years.

The tickets can be availed on domestic circuit as well as all of the international routes the airline plies on. These include Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Oman and Manchester along with other cities.

Moreover, people also discussed the compensation issues with the chairman of Airblue. People said that the promised amount was not being dispatched to them and the matter was being delayed. To this the Khaqan assured Rs0.5million of interim payment, before the total amount of Rs5 million was released for each family.

Ahmed, who lost his relative in the air crash said, “Two months have passed since the tragic incident took place and we still have not received any compensation from the government or the management of the airline.”

However, Khaqan confirmed that the company was going to give 100 tickets to each family. “Thirty families have received compensation money so far; others would receive them in two weeks and an additional Rs50,000 will be provided to cover legal expenses,” he said.

Abbasi added that government would also give Rs500,000 to each family after receiving succession certificates

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2010.