Compensation for victims
Airblue must make speedy compensation a priority, especially for those families who have lost their sole breadwinners.
It is encouraging that families of the victims of the July 28 Airblue crash have formed a group to compel the government and the airline to provide compensation and a clear explanation of the aviation disaster, but so far disjointed and often contradictory statements from Airblue, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Airbus are all that is forthcoming.
The fear that concerned authorities will try to cover-up the findings is plausible since there is no precedent of providing clear explanations for similar disasters in the past. After a preliminary analysis of data, Airbus has already intimated A-320 operators that there was no technical fault in the aircraft. This leaves a handful of other causal factors — bad weather, pilot error and control tower oversight — and the CAA should clearly identify the cause.
A transparent investigation is important not only to prevent future mistakes, but also because the compensation to be paid to victims’ families will depend on it. The government has still not paid the Rs500,000 it announced for the next-of-kin in the aftermath of the crash. Then there is the knotty problem of insurance payment by the airline. The chairman of Airblue declared an insurance payment of Rs5 million for the victims’ families but there has been confusion on whether or not the Montreal Convention applies to domestic flights. Legal experts argue that if it does, Airblue will have to pay victims’ families up to Rs14.6 million.
Whatever the final amount, Airblue must make speedy compensation a priority, especially for those needy families who have lost their sole breadwinners. Foot-dragging can only increase the pain, suspicion and hostility of relatives who have already suffered enough. The CAA must disburse the Rs500,000 promised by the government and urge the airline to pay insurance. Above all, there must be no reticence in sharing the findings of the investigation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2010.
The fear that concerned authorities will try to cover-up the findings is plausible since there is no precedent of providing clear explanations for similar disasters in the past. After a preliminary analysis of data, Airbus has already intimated A-320 operators that there was no technical fault in the aircraft. This leaves a handful of other causal factors — bad weather, pilot error and control tower oversight — and the CAA should clearly identify the cause.
A transparent investigation is important not only to prevent future mistakes, but also because the compensation to be paid to victims’ families will depend on it. The government has still not paid the Rs500,000 it announced for the next-of-kin in the aftermath of the crash. Then there is the knotty problem of insurance payment by the airline. The chairman of Airblue declared an insurance payment of Rs5 million for the victims’ families but there has been confusion on whether or not the Montreal Convention applies to domestic flights. Legal experts argue that if it does, Airblue will have to pay victims’ families up to Rs14.6 million.
Whatever the final amount, Airblue must make speedy compensation a priority, especially for those needy families who have lost their sole breadwinners. Foot-dragging can only increase the pain, suspicion and hostility of relatives who have already suffered enough. The CAA must disburse the Rs500,000 promised by the government and urge the airline to pay insurance. Above all, there must be no reticence in sharing the findings of the investigation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2010.