Two Hours Before Crash, Passenger Complains Of Defects In Air India Plane
Vatsa
LAGOS JUNE 13TH (NEWSRANGERS)-A passenger on an Air India flight has raised concerns about the aircraft’s condition, which later crashed in western India. Akash Vatsa reported issues while on board the same Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner during a prior journey from Delhi to Ahmedabad, just hours before its scheduled departure from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.
Vatsa claimed he “noticed unusual things in the plane” and even recorded a video to highlight the problems to Air India, urging the airline to get in touch for further details and tagging Boeing India along with some media outlets in his communication.
He described a lack of air conditioning, with passengers resorting to using in-flight magazines as fans, and showed himself sweating on camera. Vatsa also mentioned that the entertainment screens were not functioning, saying: “As usual, your TV screens are also not working.”
The disgruntled traveller went on to say that “nothing is working, not even the light is working” questioning Air India’s service standards with: “Is this what you are providing?”.
Flight Radar information indicated that the flight landed in Ahmedabad at 11.16am local time and departed for London Gatwick at 1.38pm local time (9.08am BST), reports the Mirror.
A mere minutes after becoming airborne, the flight tragically plummeted into a populated area. The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals at the time of the accident, including 53 British citizens, 169 from India, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
There were initial fears that there had been no survivors, as relayed by the city’s police chief to AP. However, it has recently come to light that there is a sole survivor, according to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik in a statement to ANI.
Shocking video footage captured the moment the aircraft struck a mess hall used by medical students, immediately bursting into flames and billowing black smoke. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his profound sorrow, stating: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also made a public declaration following the event, describing the imagery of the London-bound aircraft, which was full of British nationals, crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad as harrowing.
In addition, he noted: “I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
Mathrubhumi News reported that Air India flight AI-171 was grounded in December 2024 due to a “major technical snag”, leading to criticism over “maintenance lapses and flight safety procedures”. However, the aircraft was later cleared to resume operations, according to the Express.
Following the crash, Air India announced that the injured were being transported to hospital and established a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 for more information. An additional number +91 8062779200 was also made available for foreign nationals.
The airline stated it was providing “its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident”.
Several hours after the crash, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, released a video statement on social media expressing the airline’s “deep sorrow” regarding the event and emphasised that their focus would be “entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families, and loved ones”.
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Posted by News Rangers
on Jun 13 2025. Filed under International, National.
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