NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday informed Parliament that 112 Air India pilots reported sick on June 16, in an aftermath of the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives.Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol told Lok Sabha that the airline saw a “minor increase” in sick leave across all fleets. The minister said that 51 commanders (P1) and 61 first officers (P2) called in sick on a single day after the deadly crash, news agency PTI reported.The June 12 crash involved a Boeing 787-8 aircraft bound for London Gatwick. It plummeted into a building shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers, 19 people on the ground, and leaving just one survivor. The catastrophe is one of India’s deadliest civil aviation accidents in recent history.
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In light of the tragedy, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reiterated its 2023 circular advising airlines to implement customised mental health training for crew and to ensure access to Peer Support Programmes (PSP) – confidential, non-punitive systems designed to help flight crew cope with stress, anxiety, and trauma.In a separate written reply, the minister clarified that no specific compensation policy currently exists for civilian victims on the ground in plane crashes. Meanwhile, India on Wednesday virtually trashed a British media report, which claimed that two grieving families in the United Kingdom received wrong bodies of the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.Also read: Thai woman delivers baby at 30.000 ft on Muscat-Mumbai flight; Air India Express crew assists in labourThe ministry of external affairs said all mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.“We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.“In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements,” he added.Jaiswal was responding to media queries regarding a report in the “Daily Mail” on the Air India crash.“All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased. We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue,” he said.
