Latest news with #PatelInternationalAirport
India.com
10 hours ago
- General
- India.com
David Warner Slams Air India After Ahmedabad Plane Crash: 'Will Never Fly With Them Again'
In a horrifying incident that has rocked the global aviation and sporting communities, Air India's flight AI 171 — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Bound for London, the aircraft reportedly lost communication with air traffic control shortly after the pilot issued a distress 'May Day' call. Tragically, all 242 people on board, including 12 crew members, were killed in the crash, which occurred on the afternoon of June 13, 2025. — Akash Kharade (@cricaakash) June 14, 2025 Also Read: Meet Aiden Markram's Wife – Everything to Know About Nicole Daniella O'Connor, Jewellery Brand Owner & Lifestyle Icon The aircraft, under the command of experienced pilots Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, had amassed over 9,300 flight hours between them. Despite their expertise, the crash has raised serious questions about the airline's operational safety protocols, aircraft maintenance, and overall crisis response. David Warner's Public Outcry: 'I Would Never Fly Air India Again' Reacting strongly to the tragedy, veteran Australian cricketer David Warner took to Instagram to vent his frustration and concern. Sharing a damning YouTube comment that questioned Air India's safety protocols, Warner wrote: 'If this is true, it's absolutely shocking. Thoughts go out to all the families. I would never fly Air India ever again after this and my last interaction with them.' Warner's statement quickly went viral across social media platforms, especially given his large Indian fan base and longstanding connection to the country through the IPL and brand endorsements. His public condemnation not only added global visibility to the crash but also ignited a broader conversation about Air India's safety track record and customer experience. Not the First Red Flag: Warner's Troubled Past With Air India Interestingly, this is not Warner's first negative experience with the Indian carrier. During a previous visit to India for a promotional campaign, the Australian star reportedly faced significant travel inconveniences while flying Air India — delays, lack of communication, and in-flight issues. This, coupled with the ongoing revelations post-crash, seems to have cemented his decision to avoid the airline permanently. Adding fuel to the fire, an ex-Air India employee, identified as Vivek, has come forward with disturbing claims. According to him, pilots, engineers, and crew members had long voiced concerns over recurring issues with Boeing aircraft and internal mismanagement. Despite escalating these warnings to top leadership, no corrective measures were implemented. Global Backlash: Air India Under Pressure Following the crash, Air India issued a statement confirming the nationalities of the victims — 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian were among the dead. But even with the airline's official communication, mounting criticism and questions about its safety standards have created a reputational crisis. Warner's high-profile commentary has amplified scrutiny. Aviation analysts suggest that public backlash from international figures like Warner may significantly impact Air India's global perception, passenger trust, and future ticket bookings — especially from international markets. David Warner: An Icon With Influence Beyond Cricket Warner's cricketing credentials are beyond question. Since his debut in 2009, the left-handed opener has been a cornerstone of Australia's batting lineup across formats — scoring 8,786 Test runs, 6,932 ODI runs, and 3,277 T20I runs. His words carry weight, not just in sporting circles but also among corporate sponsors, aviation stakeholders, and millions of followers worldwide. When Warner speaks, the world listens — and in this case, his words could have far-reaching implications for Air India's brand image and accountability.
News18
a day ago
- General
- News18
Nirali Patel, Indian-Origin Dentist Who Was The Lone Canadian Killed In Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Last Updated: Nirali Patel, an Indian-origin dentist who lived in Etobicoke, Toronto, was going back to Canada from her "social trip" to India when the unfortunate crash took place. A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, killing all but one person. Among the deceased were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The lone Canadian was identified as Nirali Patel, an Indian-origin dentist who lived in Etobicoke, Toronto. She was travelling back to Canada from a 'social trip" in India when the tragic crash took place, according to CTV News. According to the report, Nirali's husband was reportedly planning to travel to India with their one-year-old child. 'It's absolutely shocking. There are no words in this grievance," said community leader Don Patel, who was acquainted with the family. Nirali visited India for four or five days. Her parents, brother and sister-in-law live in Brampton, according to Don. He further spoke to her brother briefly when the news of the crash broke out, saying, 'He was in shock and wasn't able to talk much." FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE Nirali worked at a Mississauga dental clinic and got her dental degree in India in 2016 followed by receiving her license in Canada in 2019. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered his condolences on her demise in the tragic crash. 'I'm saddened to learn that a Canadian from Mississauga, Ontario was among those lost in the tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad. On behalf of the people of Ontario, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of every victim," Ford posted on X on Thursday. The flight, destined for London Gatwick Airport (LGW), carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The tragic incident occurred around 1.39 pm local time (08.09 GMT). As many as 265 bodies have been brought to the city's civil hospital following the horrific crash, a police official said. Immediately after the crash, a massive emergency response was launched. Indian Army relief columns from the Golden Katar Division, along with six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire engines, ambulances, and police units, were swiftly mobilised for rescue and recovery operations. First Published: June 13, 2025, 16:27 IST
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Air India sets up help centres at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Gatwick airports
MUMBAI: Air India has set up assistance centres in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Gatwick (London) airports for the relatives and friends of the victims of the plane crash in Ahmedabad, the airline said on Friday. These centres are facilitating travel of family members to Ahmedabad, Air India said in a statement. A London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed into a medical college complex and erupted into flames shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, killing 241 of the 242 people on board in one of the country's worst air disasters. The friends & relatives assistance centres have been set up at the four airports to provide support and take care of the needs of the families and loved ones of those aboard flight AI171, the airline said in the statement. Besides, the airline has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number -- 1800 5691 444 -- for those calling from within India and +918062779200 for those calling from outside India.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Experts examine what could have gone wrong
The Boeing 787 aircraft that crashed soon after taking off — it spent all of 33 seconds in the air — from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has left the aviation industry stunned, with experts examining what could have gone wrong with the 11-year-old aircraft carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. Video evidence from a surveillance camera at the airport showing the aircraft's final moments provide some crucial clues about the accident sequence. It reveals the plane following a normal take-off trajectory before suddenly losing its ability to climb. Moments later, it slowly descends into the horizon and erupts into a ball of fire. According to officials aware of the matter, a Mayday call was issued by the pilots shortly after take-off. HT spoke to multiple experts on the possible scenarios that may have unfolded in the moments before the crash and while each of them cautioned that early clues were insufficient to draw conclusions, they agreed that the profile of the flight in its final moments — maintaining a nose-up attitude while descending — was consistent with sudden, severe power loss. 'A B787 aircraft has extremely powerful engines. It is hard to guess what went wrong. It looks like the pilot could not get adequate thrust and realised the issue immediately after take-off,' said Amit Singh, aviation safety expert and founder of Safety Matters Foundation. What led the plane to lose power would likely be at the centre of the investigation, said another expert. 'While nothing can be said by merely looking at the video, it could be possible that the crash was because both engines stalled. Investigations will reveal what led to the situation,' said Sam Thomas, president of the Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA). That's an extremely rare event on a 787, with a probability of a 1 in billion flying hours. A third expert, Mohan Ranganathan, agreed that from the visuals, that it appeared there was 'a loss of thrust and compressor failure' — referring to the scenario when not enough air enters the engine, reducing thrust. One of the other scenarios that HT brought up was a bird strike which can potentially disable one, or in the extremely rare case of the December 2024 crash of Korea's Jeju Air Flight 2216, both engines. Thomas said the possibility was extremely slim. 'It is highly unlikely that a flock of birds hit both the engines leading to the crash,' he said. Ranganathan, however, added that 'during monsoons, bird activity around the airport increases and the airport is known for flocks of birds flying in its vicinity.' The runway surveillance footage did not have the typical signs of a bird hit, where flames or smoke is momentarily seen from an engine when birds are ingested. Another scenario involves determining what some experts said was a peculiar configuration of the plane in its final moments. In another video shot by a bystander with a closer view of the crash, the plane's landing gear is still extended but its flaps – a sort of wing deployed to generate lift – are retracted. 'That should not have been the case at all,' said Singh. A senior pilot, who asked not to be named, too drew attention to the landing gears having not been retracted as a crucial indicator. 'Landing gear is retracted after an average of 35-100 ft of climbing since the aircraft achieves what is known as a positive climb rate. As per Flightradar24, the aircraft achieved a height of 650 ft. The Ahmedabad airport is at an elevation of 180ft which essentially means aircraft achieved a height of around 400 ft. This indicates that something more systemic could have happened and was detected immediately after take-off,' said this person, suggesting the pilots may immediately have planned for a return. Other scenarios, experts said, would require investigation of whether there were problems with the fuel or the take-off weight, both of which could hamper an airliner's ability to climb. Aviation expert Vipul Saxena said that the aircraft would have had 100,000 litres of fuel for its non-stop flight to London. Saxena noted that the aircraft took off in clean configuration but faced challenging conditions. 'The aircraft experienced strong cross winds at atmospheric temperatures of above 30 degrees, which in itself could have caused certain amount of loss of lift,' he said. He highlighted the unusual landing gear configuration as a critical factor. 'Till the aircraft crashed, the undercarriage were still not retracted, which was very unusual and which too would have required more lift and, thus, more engine power,' he explained. The expert suggested a possible control system failure contributed to the aircraft's inability to recover. 'The situation seems complicated since the aircraft started sinking in a take-off attitude, which points to failure of one of the controls (may be flaps or elevators) that increased descent in take-off attitude,' Saxena said. The accident has raised broader questions about aviation safety standards. 'The 787 has been in revenue service with Air India under government management for 15 years, and it has been one of the safest Gen5+ passenger airliners ever made,' said Mark D Martin, MRAeS and CEO of Martin Consulting. 'It's shocking that, with qualified crew having extensive experience in flying hours and maintenance, we see a catastrophic incident such as this.' The pilots operating the aircraft were Capt Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Capt Sabharwal was a line training captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, while the co-pilot had 1,100 hours. Officials who knew Capt Sabharwal, who joined Air India in the late 1990s, described him as 'one of the best pilots of Air India' who 'always followed the rule book and was always sincere towards his work.' Only a detailed analysis of data from the flight data recorder, when it is found, will answer the questions that remain about Flight 171.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ahmedabad plane crash: Ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani dead. Political leaders India has lost to air crashes in the past
A devastating air tragedy shook Gujarat on Thursday afternoon when an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying over 240 passengers and crew, plunged into the Meghani locality, setting off a massive blaze that blanketed the skies in smoke and triggered a full-scale emergency response. Among those confirmed dead was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani , a towering figure in the state's political landscape. Rupani, who had served as the 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021 and represented Rajkot West in the state assembly, was en route to London when the tragedy occurred. Senior BJP leader Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, visibly shaken, confirmed Rupani's presence on the flight and the news of his demise. Rupani is survived by his wife and two children. The couple had previously lost their youngest son, Pujit, in an accident — a grief that led them to establish the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust, dedicated to philanthropic work across Gujarat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo — capt_amarinder (@capt_amarinder) Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and senior state officials, assuring full central support as rescue teams and forensic experts examined the wreckage. Aviation authorities suggested that the aircraft's heavy fuel load for the international route likely intensified the post-crash fire, complicating both rescue operations and identification efforts. A formal investigation has been launched by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with Boeing engineers expected to join the probe. Rupani's tragic death adds to a somber list of Indian political leaders who have lost their lives in aircraft accidents — an eerie pattern that continues to haunt the nation's political history. You Might Also Like: Ahmedabad plane crash victim's final 'Goodbye India' post is now a haunting reminder of life's uncertainty Balwantrai Gopalji Mehta Balwantrai Gopalji Mehta, the second Chief Minister of Gujarat and a senior Congress leader, was killed in an air crash during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Known as the 'Architect of Panchayati Raj' for his role in democratic decentralisation, Mehta was flying from Mithapur to the Kutch border on 19 September 1965 in a civilian Beechcraft aircraft. The plane, piloted by ex-IAF officer Jahangir Engineer, was mistakenly shot down by the Pakistan Air Force. Mehta died along with his wife, staff members, a journalist, and the crew, marking one of the earliest instances of a sitting CM dying in a military conflict. — vinodnambardar (@vinodnambardar) Dorjee Khandu Then CM of Arunachal Pradesh, Dorjee Khandu died in a helicopter crash while flying from Tawang to Itanagar in 2011. After five days of frantic search across the dense West Kameng forests, his wrecked Pawan Hans chopper was discovered. Poor aircraft conditions and rough terrain are believed to have contributed to the fatal incident. — PemaKhanduBJP (@PemaKhanduBJP) O.P. Jindal and Surender Singh In 2005, industrialist and Haryana power minister O.P. Jindal, along with agriculture minister Surender Singh, perished when their King Cobra helicopter crashed near Saharanpur. The duo had taken off after a political meeting in Delhi, only to meet a tragic end en route to Chandigarh. YS Rajasekhara Reddy Andhra Pradesh CM YSR Reddy's helicopter went missing in 2009 during a stormy flight across the forested Nallamala region. The search operation lasted nearly 24 hours before confirming his death. His welfare schemes had made him immensely popular, and reports claimed over a hundred supporters died in shock following the tragedy. You Might Also Like: Ahmedabad plane crash: Who were the only 2 survivors of the 1988 Indian Airlines flight tragedy in which over 100 passengers died? — VSReddy_MP (@VSReddy_MP) Madhavrao Scindia A towering Congress figure and nine-term MP, Scindia was traveling to a rally in Kanpur in 2001, when his private Beechcraft aircraft crashed in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district. The fire-engulfed wreckage left all eight on board dead, including prominent journalists. His death ended the political journey of a leader often seen as a future Prime Minister. — IndiaHistorypic (@IndiaHistorypic) Sanjay Gandhi Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of Indira Gandhi and a rising Congress star, died in a plane crash in 1980 while performing aerial acrobatics in Delhi. His passion for flying cost him dearly, bringing a sudden end to what many believed was the political heirship of the Gandhi dynasty. G.M.C. Balayogi Serving as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha during 2002, Balayogi was returning from a function in Andhra Pradesh when his Bell helicopter crashed into coconut groves due to low flying. The incident claimed his life, along with his pilot and security officer, marking a dark day in Indian parliamentary history. Mohan Kumaramangalam in 1973, an influential parliamentarian, Kumaramangalam died when Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashed in Delhi. His body was identified not through records or visual confirmation, but via his Parker pen and hearing aid — a haunting detail symbolic of many such aviation tragedies. You Might Also Like: 10 celebrities who died in plane crashes A recurring shadow in Indian politics While air travel is essential for the fast-paced demands of public service, the sky has often proven treacherous for India's leaders. As the country awaits word on Vijay Rupani's fate, the Ahmedabad crash painfully reminds us that behind every aviation disaster lies not just metal wreckage, but ruptured leadership, unfinished legacies, and national grief. You Might Also Like: Ahmedabad airport crash flashback: 37 years ago, Indian Airlines Flight 113 accident killed over 100 people
