Latest news with #AlexMacheras
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Air India Flight 171 crashes on takeoff from Ahmedabad, 242 on board
Air India Flight 171 has crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in India, carrying at least 242 people, local authorities in London confirmed that the plane was due to land at the city's Gatwick Airport at 1825 local time (1725GMT).ANI news agency reports that at least 90 emergency response workers are currently deployed to the site of the crash. Update: Date: 9m ago (10:15 GMT) Title: 'A workhorse of the skies' Content: Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, says the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in today's crash is known for its impeccable reputation in terms of safety. 'The 787 has been in service for 15 years – this is a mid to long-haul passenger aircraft, one of the latest from Boeing in terms of the development and the introduction of carbon-fibre aircraft,' Macheras told Al Jazeera. 'It provides airlines with immense efficiency but also with the promise of stellar safety record that the 787 has. In fact, in its 15 years of commercial service globally, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has never been involved in a crash or a whole loss or a fatal accident,' Macheras said. 'So combined, it's an aircraft that the industry knows is of the highest standards in terms of meeting safety regulations globally, across different markets but also one that is trusted and essentially a workhorse of the skies when it comes to long-haul travel'. Update: Date: 21m ago (10:02 GMT) Title: Air India gives information on passengers on board Flight 171 Content: The airline confirms in a statement on X that the downed plane carried 242 passengers and crew members. 'Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals', Air India said. Update: Date: 29m ago (09:55 GMT) Title: Civil aviation minister promises urgent relief measures Content: India's Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says he is 'shocked and devastated' to learn about the crash of Flight 171. 'We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,' Kinjarapu said on X. 'Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,' he added. Update: Date: 34m ago (09:50 GMT) Title: What do we know so far? Content: Update: Date: 37m ago (09:46 GMT) Title: Welcome to our live coverage Content: Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of the India Air plane crash near the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Follow this page for continuous updates and analysis.
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
India fires missiles at Pakistan amid escalating WW3 fears
Multiple loud explosions were heard around the city of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, and large blasts were also reported in two other locations in the region. There are escalating fears of a World War III clash after India launched several missiles at Pakistan and the disputed Kashmir region. Multiple loud explosions were heard around the city of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, and large blasts were also reported in two other locations in the region. Muzaffarabad's went into a blackout with power being cut following the explosions. As reported by the Mirror, Pakistan's military told local media that India had attacked the country with missiles and that they would respond in turn. An Indian government spokesperson said: "A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched 'OPERATION SINDOOR', hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed. Altogether, nine sites have been targeted." Indian officials claimed the strikes were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature." They claimed no military facilities had been targeted and that the attacks were in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen. Local outlets in Pakistan have claimed, however, that at least three people and 12 others were injured in the missiles strikes. Footage taken at the site of the strikes showed huge explosions in Bahawalpur. A spokesperson for Pakistan's military said the country "will respond to this attack at a time and place of its choosing." The spokesperson continued: "All of our air force jets are airborne. This is a shameful and cowardly attack that was carried our from within India's airspace." Aviation analyst Alex Macheras said in a post shared to X/Twitter that flights were diverting out of Pakistani airspace. He added: "Airspace corridor between Oman & India (with aircraft flying between east and west) now very busy as airlines re-route away from Pakistan." The missile attack comes after a attack in Kashmir, which happened during a four-day visit of the country by US vice-president JD Vance last month. The attack happened in a well known tourist town when gunmen approached visitors and opened fire. Omar Abdullah, the region' s top elected official, took to social media following the attack, adding: "This attack is much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years." India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, branded the attack a "heinous act." He added: "Those behind this heinous act will be brought to will not be spared. Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and will only grow stronger."
Al Jazeera
21-03-2025
- Al Jazeera
Heathrow shutdown: What happened, which flights have been disrupted?
A loss of power forced London Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest, to shut down on Friday morning, prompting chaos and disrupting travel for tens of thousands of air passengers. In a post on social media website X, the airport blamed a fire at an electrical substation in North Hyde in Hayes, west London, for the power outage and said it did not expect to reopen until early on Saturday. Aviation analyst Alex Macheras told Al Jazeera the knock-on effect of the historic disruptions would be huge. 'It could possibly take days' to get back to normal, he said. Flights were diverted to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Manchester. Here's what we know about what happened and the disruption the closure has caused.A large fire in an electrical substation serving Heathrow and surrounding areas has been blamed for cutting power to the airport and causing the shutdown. The blaze also caused extensive power outages for thousands of residential and commercial buildings in parts of west London. Officials initially advised residents in the area to shut windows and doors due to the huge plumes of smoke. In a statement posted on X early on Friday, Heathrow Airport advised passengers and staff to stay away from the premises and said it was not expected to open again before midnight. 'Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience,' the statement read. Travellers told Al Jazeera they had been offered relief by some airlines. One, identified as Ellen, said she was booked on a British Airways flight before Friday's chaos. 'We were supposed to fly to Venice this morning from Heathrow for a day trip for my 30th birthday present, it was a surprise booked by my cousin for the two of us,' Ellen told Al Jazeera. 'We have been offered a full refund by the airline so won't be travelling now this weekend but will try to rearrange for another weekend soon,' she said. Fire officials said the cause of the fire is still unclear – investigations are ongoing. They warned this would be a 'prolonged incident' as firefighters battled the blaze early on Friday. It was brought under control at about 06:30 GMT, according to United Kingdom officials. Speaking to LBC Radio on Friday, UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'There is no suggestion that there is foul play.' Heathrow is located on the outskirts of west London, in the borough of Hillingdon. The airport is the busiest in Europe and one of the busiest in the world, based on passenger traffic. The fire occurred in an area close to Heathrow, at the North Hyde electrical substation in Hayes, about a 20-minute drive from the airport. At least 1,357 flights have been disrupted, according to air traffic monitor, FlightRadar24. Some 679 flights had been scheduled to land at the airport, while 678 flights had been expected to take off, the monitor said. Most flights that were to land at Heathrow were diverted to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Others were re-routed to Frankfurt, Manchester and Dublin. Flightradar24 said 120 aircraft waiting to be diverted were still in the air on Friday morning after the disruptions. Some passengers said they had been informed of cancellations and diversions hours before their flight, while many others were stuck at Heathrow or connecting airports. Lloyd, 34, who was planning to travel to the United States via Heathrow to visit his partner, received an email as he was en route to Glasgow Airport on Friday morning informing him that his 6:35am flight had been rescheduled to a later time and to a different airport in the US. By the time he got to the airport, his flight had been cancelled and he was advised not to travel from Glasgow to Heathrow. 'Perhaps because we hadn't set off to London yet, we weren't as upset as those now stuck in Heathrow,' Lloyd told Al Jazeera. According to Heathrow's data, some 67 million passengers pass through the airport every year. That is close to the population of the whole of the UK. Passenger traffic broke records in 2024 when the airport recorded more than 83 million passengers – about 220,000 people a day. The airport handles about 1,300 flights daily. Similar events have happened, although on a much smaller scale. Some of them were also in the UK. Firefighters are continuing to battle the blaze, which, while under control, is ongoing. Meanwhile, major airlines like British Airways have warned their passengers not to travel to Heathrow. 'We're working as quickly as possible to update (travellers) on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond,' the airline said.
