Latest news with #AhmadabadAirport
Irish Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Air India flight forced to turn back over mid-air issue days after horror crash
An Air India flight that was travelling from Hong Kong to Delhi had to double back this morning due to a pilot-reported suspected technical issue mid-flight. According to the Hindustan Times, Flight AI315, which was operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from Hong Kong heading for Delhi but promptly returned as a precautionary measure. This incident follows mere days after an Air India aircraft destined for London Gatwick tragically crashed, leaving all but one of the 242 passengers on board dead. The fatal flight departed from Ahmadabad Airport in Gujarat, India, and went down just moments after take-off last Thursday afternoon. Prior to this horrific event, Air India had been grappling with an "exceptionally poor" reputation; the crash is thought to have resulted in the loss of 169 Indian nationals, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor and a British national, shared with local media his experience of witnessing fellow crew members and passengers perish around him, yet he managed to escape relatively unharmed when the aircraft split in two and ejected him. Occupying seat 11A on the Boeing 787 flight, Mr Ramesh subsequently expressed that he "has no idea how he survived" what is considered one of India's worst aviation disasters. India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), implemented additional safety inspections for Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft on Friday. This step was taken as a "preventive measure" in response to Thursday's fiery crash, which also harmed inhabitants of Meghani, a densely populated district where the aircraft plummeted, reports the Mirror. The recovery of one of the aeroplane's black boxes was announced the same day, a development described by India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu as "an important step forward in the investigation" into the calamitous event. Among the British nationals lost in the crash of Air India flight 171 were wellness experts Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, founders of the Wellness Foundry. The couple had indulged in an Indian holiday and even shared a brief video from Ahmedabad airport, mulling over their journey shortly before they boarded the ill-fated aircraft. Also perished in the tragedy was businessman Akeel Nanawaba, 36, his partner Hanna Vorajee, 30, and their young daughter Sarah, aged four, who were just concluding a five-day family festivity in India. Another UK-based family caught up in the disaster comprised the acclaimed hotel manager Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam, and their little ones Amani, aged four, and Zayn. Furthermore, there was Raxa Modha, aged 55, her two year old grandson Rudra, and daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar, who are thought to have been travelling back to England for a remembrance service for Ms Modha's deceased husband when they met their untimely end in the crash.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Air India forced to abort flight over mid-air issue days after horror crash
An Air India flight travelling from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to make a U-turn this morning after the pilot reported a suspected technical issue mid-air. Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, left Hong Kong for Delhi before quickly returning to its origin as a precautionary measure. It comes just days after an Air India plane bound for London Gatwick crashed and killed all but one of the 242 passengers onboard. The flight, which departed Ahmadabad Airport in Gujarat, India, came down moments after taking off on Thursday afternoon.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Air India captain's dad shares tragic promise son made a week before crash
The father of captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was the main pilot on the doomed Air India Flight 171, revealed the promise his son made to him just a week before the deadly crash The captain of the doomed Air India plane that crashed and killed 241 passengers had made a heartbreaking promise to his dad just a week before the fatal air tragedy. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had over 8,200 hours of experience, was the main pilot operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner before it plunged into a residential area yesterday. The doomed flight, bound for Gatwick Airport, crashed just minutes after it took off from Ahmadabad Airport, in the north west of India. The pilot's 82-year-old dad, who lives in a care home, revealed how he spoke to his captain son a week ago and shared what was said. Sumeet's elderly father said the pilot promised to take a break from work so he could spend more time with his family. Indian politician Dilip Mama Lande, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, shared details of the heart-wrenching phone call. The politician said: "A few days ago, he promised to take a break to spend time with his father." The pilot's dad is believed to have been a former official at the India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation, according to the Times of India. Shortly after take-off yesterday, the crew issued a "mayday" distress call, indicating an emergency situation. Captain Sumeet desperately said: "Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift." However, no further communication was received from the aircraft after the initial alert. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that it lost the signal from the aircraft just seconds after it became airborne. "The signal from the aircraft was lost at 10:08 local time at 625 feet, less than a minute after take off," the site tweeted. Authorises confirmed 241 passengers died and only one person managed to survive the horrific tragedy. Lone survivor and British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, said he said in seat 11a, next to an emergency exit. He told the Hindustan Times that the section of the plane he was in landed on the ground, rather than hitting the roof of a building. He said: "When I saw the exit, I thought I could come out. I tried, and I did. Maybe the people who were on the other side of the plane weren't able to." The survivor added: "I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me … I walked out of the rubble." The British man was onboard the doomed flight with his brother. The survivor previously said he heard a loud noise around 30 seconds after the plane took off. Vishwash's other brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, spoke from outside the family home in Leicester and said: "We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. He said I have no idea how I exited the plane." His family confirmed they are flying to India tonight to be by the wounded flyer's bedside. The family was able to book flights despite the decision by Air India to cancel more than a dozen planned flights this morning while continuing to pick up the pieces from Thursday's incident
