Air India has begun returning the personal belongings of passengers who lost their lives in the tragic Ahmedabad air crash, according to news agency PTI. The accident, which occurred seven months ago, claimed 260 lives. The airline said the process is being carried out with great care, respect, and dignity for the families.

An Air India spokesperson said the airline worked closely with an external agency to recover, sort, and document all items that could be returned to families. Teams spent several months carefully identifying and listing the belongings to ensure accuracy before contacting the families.

What items were recovered?

In total, more than 22,000 personal items were recovered and preserved. Out of these, around 8,000 items could be linked to specific individuals, such as passports, identity documents, or personal belongings. These are called “associated items.”

The remaining 14,000 items could not be linked to any particular passenger and are called “un-associated items.” These include everyday objects such as a toy aeroplane, a toy car, a wristwatch, plastic bangles, a sweater, shoes, handbags, and even a half-burnt page from a book containing the Gujarati prayer “Mangal Mandir Kholo.”

How does the return process work?

Air India has shared details of the recovered items with families through email and a dedicated website. For items linked to a specific person, families are shown photographs and details and are given three options:

  • They can decline the item,
  • Collect it in person from a facilitation centre in Ahmedabad, or
  • Receive it by courier.

One man, whose mother died in the crash, told PTI that he received a link from Air India to view the recovered items online. However, he could not find anything belonging to his mother, possibly because she was carrying very little luggage on the day of the flight.

The return process began on January 5 and will continue until mid-February. Several families have already visited the Ahmedabad facilitation centre to collect the belongings of their loved ones. Air India said the process is being carried out only after receiving all required regulatory approvals.

Un-associated items

For items whose owners could not be identified, Air India has created a separate online portal displaying all 14,000 un-associated items. Access to this portal has been given only to families of the victims. If a family believes that an item belongs to their loved one, they can submit a claim online. These items will also be returned either in person in Ahmedabad or by courier, based on the family’s preference.