# Air India passengers may get Rs 1.8 crore each if flight incident is ‘accident’ 2026-08-14T02:13:25+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Injured passengers on the Delhi-Phuket Air India flight that hit severe turbulence may claim up to Rs 1.8 crore each under the Montreal Convention, but only if the event is classified as an 'accident' and not a 'serious incident'. Legal experts point to ICAO Annex 13, which defines an accident as having at least one person seriously injured, hospitalisation over 48 hours, fractures, or severe bleeding. Two passengers remain hospitalised with head injuries and fractures. Under the convention, the airline is strictly liable and must pay unless it proves it was not negligent. India previously classified a similar Vistara turbulence incident in 2021 as an accident, setting a precedent. Victims have two years to file claims. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in Tags: AAIB, Air India, ICAO, Montreal Convention, passenger compensation, turbulence Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-passengers-may-get-rs-1-8-crore-each-if-flight-incident-is-accident/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-passengers-may-get-rs-1-8-crore-each-if-flight-incident-is-accident/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.