Pilot error or not, insurance payout unlikely to be affected

With the initial findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on last month's Air India crash in Ahmedabad not explicitly attributing the incident to pilot error, industry experts said insurance payouts would not be affected even if that were the case.

- AATHIRA VARIER

"The insurance amount has to be paid by the airline because even if it was an error by the pilot that caused the accident, it is covered in the policy. The insurance amount has to be paid irrespective of the scenario. Also, some of the victims have approached a UK law firm to get better compensation," an insurance broker told Business Standard.

The only case where there could be a change in insurance payout is if Air India's management were found to be aware of the accident and the accident was deliberate.