logo
British couple on Air India flight named

British couple on Air India flight named

Telegraph2 days ago

A British couple believed to be aboard the crashed Air India flight posted about their 'magical experience' in the country.
Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio, spoke of their love of India and the 'mind-blowing' experiences they had had just hours before the flight took off.
Just after leaving the airport, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was engulfed in a huge fireball after plummeting into a building in the suburb of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state.
The flight, with 242 people onboard including 53 British nationals, was en route to Gatwick airport. Among the passengers were 11 children.
On Tuesday, the Greenlaw-Meeks had posted on their social media accounts from their boutique hotel in the city, The House of MG, talking about how they planned to create a 'vlog' documenting their time in the city and were excited to tell everyone about the details.
Sitting beside his husband, Fiongal said: 'So it's our last night in India and we have had a magical experience really, there have been some quite mind-blowing things that have happened.'
Jamie added: 'We really have been on quite a journey, and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel, and we have just had the most delicious Tali food. It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you'.
Other videos show Fiongal discussing how they are 'feeling very, very, very happy' and showing off the 'treasures' that they had bought before a final video showed them in the airport as the plane was boarding.
The couple run The Wellness Foundry in south London and Ramsgate, which offers psychic readings, tarot, Reiki and yoga.
It has collaborated with brands including Dior, Google, and Netflix, according to the website, and they were due to offer readings at Ramsgate's Pride march on Saturday.
In January, Fiongal appeared on ITV's This Morning to chat about people's auras and what they mean.
The couple's Wellness Foundry described it on Instagram as their 'biggest gig so far', adding that it was 'very nerve-wracking' but that he was 'honoured to chat about one of his favourite topics to such a big audience'.
The couple documented their professional and personal lives on social media, advertising 'psychic development' and spiritual retreats in the UK and Spain.
They have been together since 2019, getting married in various ceremonies, including one in Las Vegas, in 2022.
Jamie posted a series of pictures of their wedding day at Mill Farm in Gamlingay, Cambs, on Facebook, adding that they had made 'so many wonderful memories and fun to last a lifetime'.
He added: 'Thank you to my wonderful husband for keeping me calm in times of stress (sunshine after the rain)... My heart is so full of love and gratitude…'
Jamie has previously spoken about how he developed a passion for wellness and health when his late father was diagnosed with cancer.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Doomed Air India flight passenger's heartbreaking final words to her husband just minutes before take-off revealed
Doomed Air India flight passenger's heartbreaking final words to her husband just minutes before take-off revealed

Scottish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Doomed Air India flight passenger's heartbreaking final words to her husband just minutes before take-off revealed

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WIFE on the doomed Air India flight excitedly called her husband just minutes before take-off to say she would be home soon. Nurat Jahar, 29, and care worker hubby Sohail Iproyaliya had gone to Gujarat to visit family at the start of May. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Couple Nurat Jahar and husband Sohail Iproyaliya Credit: supplied 4 A crane lifting the tail of the airliner from debris of the wreckage in Ahmedabad Credit: AFP 4 The doomed jet seconds before the crash Credit: x/nchorAnandN He had to return home to Leicester a fortnight later, and Nurat was heading back on Thursday on tragic flight AI 171. She could not wait to see her husband of five years and called him one last time on her mobile as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was taxiing on the runway ready to take off. But around an hour later, stunned Sohail was told she was dead. Heartbroken family friend Mohammed Ghanchi, 28, said: 'Sohail had to come home after two weeks because of work commitments but she stayed to look after her father while her brother went to Mecca.' Read More on World News PAIN IN SPAIN Anti-tourist protesters take over Majorca sightseeing coach with smoke bombs Another friend Shahrukh Mg, 33, added: 'They were very happy. We are all shocked at the loss. 'She was a very kind character, extremely friendly. Sohail is so upset. He flew to India yesterday.' The couple lived just a few hundred yards from the Leicester home of miracle survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40. The death toll rose to 279 with 38 people killed on the ground making the tragedy the worst aviation disaster this century after 9/11, and India's worst-ever single air tragedy. A total of 241 passengers and crew were killed when the 787 began to lose height 17 seconds after take-off when it had reached 625ft. It hit the hostel of a medical ­college 16 seconds later, erupting into a huge fireball. 'I opened my eyes & slipped out'…Brit sole survivor of Air India crash details escape Rescuers yesterday made a grim discovery of another body in the jet's tail section. Doctors are relying on DNA and dental records to identify the badly burnt remains. King Charles led a minute's silence during yesterday's Trooping the Colour. He requested the tribute himself and he and other senior royals in the parade wore black armbands. The King expressed his 'deepest possible sympathy'. Meanwhile, Indian politician ­Sanjay Raut speculated that the plane was downed by a 'cyber-attack'. 4 The plane had recently completed the Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad route without incident Credit: Reuters The black box containing flight data has been recovered — but the second box, which records the pilots speaking, is still missing. The plane can fly with one engine, ­leading to theories that it may have had a rare double engine failure. British and American investigators have now joined the investigation. The plane had recently completed the Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad route without incident. The pilot of the IndiGo budget airline flight immediately behind AI 171 on the runway aborted his own take-off when he realised something was wrong — and moments later watched as the plane crashed. Air India is to retire flight number AI 171. The Gatwick route will now be AI 159. Family at survivor's bedside By JULIA ATHERLEY MORE than 20 family members of the sole survivor of the Air India crash flew out to be at his bedside yesterday. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, from Leicester, lost his brother Ajay on the doomed 787 flight. The siblings were sitting on different sides of the same row, with Vishwash located near the emergency exit. His cousin Hiren Kantilal, 19, said: 'He can't believe he has lost his brother. We are all heartbroken that we lost him.' From his hospital bed, Vishwash detailed his miracle escape. He said: 'I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out. 'Everyone around me was either dead or dying. 'I still don't understand how I escaped.' Ketan Shah, from Bournemouth, was named as one of the victims. He was returning to Britain after visiting his sick father. The 43-year-old, who lived in Bournemouth with wife Megha and their teenage son and daughter, had run a village store in Shipton Bellinger, Hants, for 15 years. Fellow passenger Ash Harrington, 27, from Suffolk, was heading back to the UK on the flight with his father Suresh Patel and grandmother Radhabi Patel. His mother Andrea ­Bonner posted on social media: 'I will never heal this pain. RIP my son.'

Air India crash brings aviation death toll to 460 this year. So, is it still safe to fly?
Air India crash brings aviation death toll to 460 this year. So, is it still safe to fly?

Daily Mail​

time9 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Air India crash brings aviation death toll to 460 this year. So, is it still safe to fly?

This year is proving one of the deadliest in the past decade for air travel. With at least 260 dead after the Air India crash this week, aviation experts say fatalities have reached 460 in the first six months of 2025. Given the latest tragedy, investigates whether air travel really is becoming more dangerous. While the aviation industry maintains exceptionally high safety standards, the recent string of high-profile incidents has raised fears flying is getting riskier. The average number of deaths during flights per year stands at 284, according to Jan-Arwed Richter, founder of Jacdec, a German consulting firm that tracks aviation safety. That means 2025 has already had almost double the average number of air travel deaths. Richter told Bloomberg: 'This year still has more than six months to go, so this could be concerning if this rate of fatal accidents would go on.' While many people will likely now have concerns about the safety of air travel, experts stress flying is not getting more dangerous. Dr Simon Bennett, director of the civil safety and security unit at the University of Leicester, in England, told 'That perception is understandable because safety goes through peaks and troughs. 'So if you take a snapshot at a particular time it can either look like things are getting seriously dangerous or that things are getting seriously safe.' The high level of fatalities in 2025 comes on the back of one of the safest periods in the history of air travel. In 2023, industry groups found there was not a single fatal incident throughout the entire year. However, a series of high-profile events starting from the end of 2024 have grabbed the public attention. While these incidents create an illusion of escalating danger, this is not reflected in the statistical reality. As the Air India tragedy unfolded, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch published its annual safety review for 2024. This review concluded: 'Commercial aviation remains one of the safest forms of public transport, with global accident rates continuing their long-term decline.' Dr Bennett points out that aviation experts only look at averages over longer periods, to avoid being biased by big spikes associated with single incidents. 'If you take a 20-year snapshot, then air safety is unequivocally improving,' he explained. However, the experts also points out that it is extremely difficult to convince people of this fact. 'You will be safer five miles above than you would be at home - that is a fact. 'But if you tell the public that they won't believe you,' he said. 'My deepest sympathies go out to those who've been affected, but I would beg the public to consider such events in the widest possible context.' As for what has caused this 'trough' in air flight safety, there may be a number of reasons with economic causes being the most likely. Dr Bennett says that downturns in the fortunes of airflight industries lead to reduced investment in safety, which can spark an increase in near misses and incidents. Until the official investigation concludes, it is impossible to confirm exactly what led to the crash of Air India Flight 171. However, it appears environmental and mechanical issues may have combined to prevent the flight from gaining altitude properly. Dr Sammy Diasinos, an aerodynamics researcher at Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia, says: 'The B787 has very powerful engines and can easily operate if one engine fails, so for this accident to occur, we would be looking at a very rare double engine failure. 'I would expect this highlights an environmental cause rather than an engine or maintenance issue. 'It would be very unusual for two engines on the same aircraft to be on the exact same maintenance schedule, making simultaneous mechanical failure unlikely.' Experts point out that the hot conditions and the flight's full fuel would have meant it needed extra time to gain altitude - something which it appeared unable to do. With temperatures on the runway at 37°C (98°F), the flight would have needed significantly more lift to gain altitude. Additionally, Flight 171 appeared to have both its landing gear deployed and flaps retracted at an altitude of only 600ft (182m) causing it to have a lower lift. Murray Terwey, an aviation lecturer at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, said: 'Aircrew have been known in the past to retract the flap instead of the gear by mistake. 'This, in the early stages of flight, can lead to a significant loss of lift which can lead to an accident.' However, the exact combination of factors which led to this incident will only be revealed in a full investigation by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

Air India slammed over 'broken planes'
Air India slammed over 'broken planes'

Daily Record

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Record

Air India slammed over 'broken planes'

Indian officials continued with investigations underway to determine exactly what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash as bereaved families wait to collect the bodies of their loved ones from a post-mortem centre. Air India flights were reportedly riddled with issues long before the tragic AI171 disaster last week that saw over 200 dead. The airline used to receive a large amount of bad publicity from a series of incidents giving the airline what an expert has said was an "exceptionally poor" reputation. ‌ Hospital officials in Ahmedabad, in Gujarat province, western India, confirmed today that 270 people died in the disaster after the doomed flight hit a medical college hostel on Thursday shortly after takeoff - killing all but one of 241 passengers and dozens of people on the ground. ‌ Indian officials continued with investigations underway to determine exactly what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash as bereaved families wait to collect the bodies of their loved ones from a post-mortem centre. The airline has received high praise for its response to the disaster, which comes three years after it was acquired and privatised by Tata steel. But prior to this, Rhys Jones, a luxury travel expert and editor of Head for Points, told The Mirror, Air India's reputation was "extremely poor" despite it being cleared by European and US regulators. Window chaos Back in 2018, chaos erupted during a 30-minute Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi, when intense turbulence resulted in the inside part of a window panel becoming dislodged. Panic spread across the packed cabin, filled with 240 passengers, while a cabin crew member bravely pushed the panel back in, all while comforting a distressed passenger. Footage of the terrifying incident was shared widely on social media at the time and shows some overhead oxygen masks being deployed. Three people were left requiring hospital treatment, as per The Times of India newspaper. ‌ A source told the publication: 'Passengers were naturally terrified.' He continued: 'The turbulence on Flight AI 462 was such that the head of a seated passenger, who possibly did not have his seat belt fastened, hit the overhead cabin because of a bump. "The person suffered injuries. Two more had minor injuries. The inside of a window panel came off. The outside window did not break, and there was no depressurisation.' ‌ 'Dirty' conditions After the Tata group took over the airline a year ago, a Dubai-based travel influencer, who vlogs via the YouTube channel Living Jet Setters, reviewed a flight they took aboard a 787-8 Dreamliner, to see if improvements had been made. ‌ The vlogger, who travelled in economy class, was impressed by the speedy check-in and the "great service" they received from "extremely friendly and very nice" cabin crew members. They also noticed improvements with the on-flight food, which they described as "tasty" and "delicious", and found their seat and headrest to be comfortable. However, there were a number of areas they found to be "pretty outdated" aboard the aircraft, which had been part of Air India's fleet for 10.4 years by this point. They noted: "Even the magazines aren't very well kept". ‌ Expressing displeasure at the "very poor hygiene" standards that quickly became apparent when they took their seat, the travel reviewer showed footage of stains on the torn seat cushions, as well as on the fold-out tray table. He remarked: 'Air India has to improve on this." On top of this, their remote control socket was broken, and their in-flight entertainment screen wasn't working. A glance around the cabin showed he wasn't alone on this front. Unfortunately, there were yet more grim finds awaiting him in the "old and dirty" bathroom, which he claimed had "no amenities" or even tissue paper. The air freshener also didn't seem to be working. Calling upon Air India to update and refurbish their older planes, he asserted: 'It's only been half an hour into the flight, and it's already dirty". ‌ Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Broken seats In April of this year, as previously reported by the View From The Wing travel publication, an Air India passenger making the 7,500-mile journey from Chicago to Delhi claims she was told 'there was a technical issue" with her business class seat, which "wouldn't recline". ‌ Instead, she says she was offered two economy seats, which she was allegedly pressed to take. Although she allegedly made it clear that she wished to keep the broken business class seat and have a partial refund, she was informed this wasn't an option. She claims staff continued to press her to take the economy seats, and handed over a form for the seat reassignment. After sitting in her original business class seat, the passenger allegedly found only a broken tray table. She also learned that her seat opponent had accepted a downgrade from first class, on account of a broken seat. Two rows of business class had also been cleared out, apart from the crew rest seats in the cabin that were curtained off. This alleged series of events was told by the woman's daughter, who uploaded a screenshot of the seat reassignment form to Reddit. ‌ Claiming that her mother had been " scammed", she wrote: A few hours in, several of the crew/attendants get in the seats, cover themselves with blankets, and go to sleep. "Then on her flight back home there were no issues with her seat but she watched them run the exact same play on the woman in front of her in line with the form, technical issue, etc – she tells her and multiple of the passengers get to talking about it and corroborate similar happening to them on other flights. Same situation occurs with rows of empty business seats that the crew takes over midway through the flight." ‌ 'Technical snag' In a more recent review filmed back in May, aviation vlogger and content creator Noel Phillips documented his "awful" flight aboard Air India's "Filthy Boeing 797", showing followers sights such as a "grimy" window button, and a hair left behind by the previous seat occupant. They also spoke about how the power went out, and how passengers were told they'd been a "technical snag", after learning the flight would be delayed by 45 minutes. In one part of the video, a baffled Noel, who was travelling business class, shared: "So a passenger across the aircraft has got to their seat, and there's like a massive bit of metal sticking out of the seat. Okay, they've fixed it with a bit of gaffer tape, so that's all good, I suppose." ‌ According to Noel, staff initially didn't mind him taking a review video, but when the technical difficulties began, it allegedly became clear that his camera was no longer welcome, forcing him to be more "discreet". While inspecting the toilet, Noel was alarmed to find "liquid matter on the floor", and also wasn't majorly won over by the in-flight entertainment, where advertised content such as games, music, and even the flight map, wasn't available. Unfortunately, Noel's reading light was out of order, meaning he couldn't even read the newspaper he'd been handed at the beginning of the flight. He also advised future travellers to bring along a power bank, as neither the 3-pin plug nor USB were working. ‌ Flights deemed safe despite poor reputation Mr Jones noted that, before the airline was acquired in 2022, the overall reputation of Air India was "exceptionally poor", but regulators in the US and Europe continued to allow the airline to take passengers. He said it was important to note that the airline would not have been able to if any "significant safety lapses" were found. The expert said: "Prior to privatisation, Air India's reputation was exceptionally poor. But it's important to remember that the airline was still deemed safe by European and American regulators, who permitted the airline to operate flights to the US, UK and Europe. "If these bodies had found significant safety lapses then this would not have been permitted, as we saw over the last five years with Pakistan International Airlines which was banned from flying to these destinations until their safety record (and that of the Pakistani regulator) improved."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store