Air India plane crash: Gujarat ex-CM Vijay Rupani given a 21-gun salute; Amit Shah attends funeral
Air India plane crash: Gujarat ex-CM Vijay Rupani was given a 21-gun salute. Home Minister Amit Shah also attended the funeral, which was held at Rajkot, Gujarat on Monday.
Vijay Rupani was one of the 242 people on board the ill-fated Air India AI171 aircraft, which smashed into BJ Medical College Hostel's mess at Ahmedabad, on Thursday, June 12. Every single person on the flight died, except for one.
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Hindustan Times
13 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India flight headed to Ranchi diverted back to Delhi due to suspected technical issues
An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi was diverted back to the national capital shortly after taking off on Monday due to a suspected technical issue. The Boeing 737 Max 8 plane was scheduled to land at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport at 6:20 PM. After the inspection and clearance, the aircraft continued its normal operations, according to an Air India spokesperson. Also Read: Delhi-bound Air India flight returns to Hong Kong after mid-air technical issue "One of our flights returned to Delhi after take off due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations. We regret the inconvenience," Air India Express Spokesperson said. Earlier in the day, an Air India flight, which was supposed to land in Delhi, was diverted back to Hong Kong after the pilot suspected a technical issue mid-air, according to sources. Also Read: Did double engine failure cause the Air India plane crash? PIB fact-checks The AI 315 flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had departed from Hong Kong to Delhi. According to the flight tracking site, Flight Radar 24, the Air India flight was supposed to reach Delhi by 12.20 PM. Sources said that the passengers deboarded safely and the plane is undergoing a safety check. Also Read: 'Bana liya content? Mil gye views?': Woman slammed for reel on 'empty' Air India flight day after Ahmedabad crash "The pilot suspected some technical issue in the flight and, as a precautionary measure, the flight returned to its origin. Passengers have been disembarked and the flight is going through the check," the source said. These incidents come just days after the tragic Air India AI 171, also a Dreamliner 787-8, on June 12 in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people onboard. Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also ordered enhanced safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet. The airline has stated that inspections on nine out of its 33 Dreamliner aircraft had been completed, with the remaining 24 on track to be inspected within the timeline provided by the regulator. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including12 crew members. Out of all the people, there was a lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, who sustained minor injuries and had been undergoing treatment. A high-level meeting on civil aviation security, chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, is set to take place on June 17 in the wake of the recent Air India plane crash.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Man who dodged AI 171 crash boards AI 159 with prayers
Ahmedabad: Just four days after cheating death, Jayesh Ramji stood quietly at Gate 4 of Terminal 2 of the SVPI airport, hands clasped tightly around his bag. A shop assistant in London, the 34-year-old was supposed to be on AI 171: the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 241of the 242 passengers and crew on board along with many others on the ground. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A last-minute change to stay with his ailing mother saved his life. On Monday, he stood at the airport again, about to board AI 159 — the renumbered version of the same Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight. Ramji, originally from Diu and living in London for the past seven years, said: "I pushed my travel to June 16 as my mother was unwell. Now, I just hope to get home safe." Ramji wasn't alone in carrying quiet fear. The terminal was quieter than usual, with families clinging a little tighter, goodbyes turning a little longer. Everyone knew the significance of this flight: same city, same sky, but with prayers for a different outcome. The flight, scheduled to depart at 1.10pm, was delayed by over three hours and eventually departed at 4.30pm. In line stood Raas Mishra, 28, who works with the operations team of a logistics firm in London. His parents had just hugged him goodbye; their eyes moist with tears. "They were scared. We all saw the news. I am nervous too, but I have flown Air India before and while the ride is not always the most comfortable, I trust their pilots," Mishra told TOI. For 72-year-old Kokila Patel of Patan, the delay brought emotional exhaustion. Her original flight was scheduled for June 14, but it was cancelled after the tragedy. "My son said I should book another airline. But I'd already confirmed June 16 when Air India called me," she said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I trust God and the airline. I want to go back, not stay scared forever." Her older sister, Pushpa Patel, 75, who came to see her off, looked visibly worried. "I begged her to change the airline, but she wouldn't listen," she said. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Sabina Qasmani from Veraval was finally heading back to the UK to join her father and siblings. Her mother, Ameena, remained anxious. "Since the crash, I have not been able to sleep. She is flying the same route. It is hard not to worry." For Riddhi, another young woman heading to her husband in the UK after visiting her family in Ahmedabad, the moment was bittersweet. "This is my second trip after getting married. I was happy being with my family, but I just want to get back safely to him now." Despite the weight of recent memories, there was a quiet strength in the air. At the departure gate, hugs lingered. At the boarding gate, passengers glanced skyward and whispered prayers. And when AI159 finally lifted off, every passenger carried one common wish: that the flight would be just another flight, and not a headline.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
AI-171 plane crash: Mortal remains of 76 victims handed over to families after DNA matching
Ahmedabad: The mortal remains of 76 victims of the AI-171 plane crash have been handed over to their relatives after matching their DNA samples and ascertaining their identity. Around119 samples have been matched so far even as human body parts are still being recovered from the crash site and being brought to the hospital. Meanwhile, remains of human body parts are still being retrieved from the site. On Monday, 15 such remains were retrieved from the crash site. On Monday, June 16, 2025, Air India resumed its Ahmedabad-London flight services with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight A159 departing at 4.30 pm from Ahmedabad airport, three days after the mishap. After the crash of flight AI 171, the airline had decided to change the flight number to AI159. The aircraft was scheduled for additional checks, as per a Ministry of Civil Aviation order. The Gujarat health department has deployed an additional 855 staff, apart from the regular Civil Hospital staff, to ease and expedite the process. The district administration has appointed more than 250 nodal officers to ensure the process of handing over the mortal remains and for coordination with the families. Supervisory officers have also been designated to ensure that all proceedings are conducted properly. The state government has also put in place an elaborate system to ensure assistance pertaining to any paper work for the relatives of the victims. They have also reached out to the relatives of the deceased to provide the required documents - including inheritance certificates - based on witness testimonies and verification by local committees, to ensure smooth processing with insurance companies and any government or semi-government offices. Live Events Keeping in mind the rainy weather, a large dome with basic facilities like drinking water, fans, and coolers, mobile toilets outside the new postmortem complex has been set up for the family members of the crash victims. Charitable organisations have been roped in to arrange for tea, snacks, water and meals for the families waiting inside the dome. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Monday and took stock of the situation. He held a meeting with the ministers and senior state officials to review the entire relief and rescue operation.
