Air India's long history as it faces crisis of Ahmedabad crash

At least 30 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The flight was bound for London Gatwick. The incident has cast a spotlight on the carrier's long and complex history.
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A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India , one of its home country's largest airlines, crashed moments after take-off on Thursday on a flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, killing at least 30.Here are the facts about the airline's long history:Air India was started by entrepreneur JRD Tata in 1932, before being taken over by the Indian government in 1953. Under the government, years of mismanagement and rising competition led to ballooning debts at the carrier. Tata Group took over the airline's operations in a $2.2 billion deal in 2022, and has since tried to revive its fortunes.Air India currently flies to 43 domestic and 41 international destinations. As of May, it operates 191 aircraft, a mix of narrow- and wide-body models from both Airbus and Boeing.It is currently the country's only airline to fly non-stop to long-haul destinations, from Australia to Europe and North America.Its low-cost unit, Air India Express, flies to 55 destinations in India and abroad, with a focus on the Middle East.Tata Group merged Air India and Air India Express with its existing carriers Vistara and AIX Connect in November to form India's largest airline group after IndiGo.Air India has merged with Vistara, while Air India Express combined with AIX Connect. The airlines command a roughly 30% share of India's domestic aviation market.Singapore Airlines, which started full-service carrier Vistara with the Tatas, is a 25% owner of the combined Air India Group.Air India placed what was then the world's largest aircraft order for a combined 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing in February 2023.This was topped up with an order for another 100 jets from Airbus in December last year.Air India is in talks with Airbus and Boeing for a major new aircraft deal including some 200 extra single-aisle planes, Reuters reported earlier in June.The company in mid-2023 unveiled a new logo, branding and plane livery.It also embarked on a $400 million refurbishment and retrofitting plan of its aircraft interiors, which has been dogged by supply chain delays. The carrier has retrofitted most of its single aisle Airbus A320 neo aircraft and is working on updating its long-haul Boeing 777 and 787 jets.

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Indian Express

27 minutes ago

• Indian Express

On board AI 171: Proud parents headed to the UK to attend convocations

Thrilled that they would be part of her convocation ceremony on June 23, Dhwani Patel couldn't wait to see her parents — and the graduation dress they had picked out for her — in London. Rajni Patel (51) and his wife, Divyaben (47), from Gujarat's Vasad town, had also packed local snacks, new shoes and a watch to surprise the 21-year-old. Travelling with them was Dhwani's aunt, Hemangi Patel (57). 'They had scheduled a flight for June 20 but advanced it to June 16, and finally to June 12, as they wanted to spend more time with me since I was to sit for placements after my convocation. This was the first time someone from our family was attending a convocation abroad. I told them to stay with me for some days as the weather is usually good in London,' Dhwani told The Indian Express. The family found itself on the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one on board. A student of business management from Middlesex University in London, Dhwani rushed back home but could only reach on June 14. 'Due to the Israel-Iran conflict, my flight was redirected to Austria, then Milan and then back to the UK. I took a new flight and reached on June 14,' she said. 'They had packed everything Dhwani likes… They hoped to stay with her for some days before she started working,' said her 31-year-old cousin Parth Patel, whose mother Hemangi died in the crash. On board the flight were several such proud parents who were heading to the UK to attend their children's convocation. Two others who lost parents to the Dreamliner crash are Ahmedabad's Pratham Nanda (22), who was graduating from Nottingham Trent University, and Gracy Sagparia from Rajkot, who was graduating from the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom. Like Dhwani's parents, they too had rescheduled their travel plans. Pratham is grieving the loss not just of his parents but of his younger brother, Prayash (18), too. Apart from attending Pratham's convocation, the parents – founder of Cargo Motors Group Pramukh Pravesh Nanda and his wife Neha – thought they would also shortlist universities for Prayash. An undergraduate student of business management and entrepreneurship, Pratham was waiting for his family to attend his convocation on June 16. 'Prayash, who had just completed his Class XII, also wanted to study abroad, so the family thought it would be a good opportunity to look for universities. They were to visit two-three universities before finalising one,' Pramukh's younger brother Pranav told The Indian Express. Pramukh was a key figure in Gujarat's automobile and transport sectors and was well-known in the state's business circles. The bodies were cremated on June 17 after the mortal remains were handed over following DNA sample reports. Pratham reached Mumbai on June 13 morning, from where he travelled by road to Ahmedabad. According to Pranav, the family was to leave on June 9 so they could get more time before the convocation. 'But since our father was not well and had to be hospitalised, they delayed the tickets to June 12. The same day (of the crash), my father was discharged from the hospital in Ahmedabad,' Pranav said. Pratham says he plans to join and lead his family's car dealership business, which was founded in 1959 and has operations in Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan. Gracy, who had wrapped up a four-year course in fashion design, recalled, 'My father was not too happy to travel alone as my mother's visa got cancelled just three days before June 12. I pushed him to continue his trip as he would not be able to witness this occasion again. He was coming to London just for me.' Narsinhbhai Sagpariya, 63, a resident of Kalavad Road in Rajkot and a well-known architect, had booked the tickets for June 12 after several changes in the plan. 'I wanted my parents to plan the trip days ahead of the convocation since I wanted them to explore London and other places. This would have been their first foreign trip,' she said.

India Gazette

an hour ago

• India Gazette

Air India Express flight to Patna diverted to Varanasi due to bad weather

New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI): An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Patna was diverted to Varanasi on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. An airline spokesperson said that Air India Express flight IX1014 from Delhi (DEL) to Patna (PAT) on 21 June 2025 was diverted to Varanasi (VNS). 'Due to adverse weather conditions, one of our flights to Patna was diverted briefly to Varanasi. When the weather improved, the flight resumed and landed in Patna. We regret the delay caused by circumstances beyond our control,' the spokesperson said. Earlier in the week, on Monday, another Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi had to return to the national capital shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. The airline said 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. '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,' the airline spokesperson said. Earlier on Friday, Air India cancelled several international and domestic flights due to increased aircraft checks, bad weather, and airspace restrictions. Affected flights include services between Dubai, Chennai, Delhi, Melbourne, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. According to an Air India's statement, 'Air India's international flights AI906 from Dubai to Chennai; AI308 from Delhi to Melbourne; AI309 from Melbourne to Delhi; AI2204 from Dubai to Hyderabad and domestic flights AI874 from Pune to Delhi; AI456 from Ahmedabad to Delhi; AI-2872 from Hyderabad to Mumbai and AI571 from Chennai to Mumbai have been cancelled due to enhanced maintenance and operational reasons.' The airline has offered full refunds or free rescheduling and is helping passengers with alternate travel plans. 'We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers. Our colleagues on ground are making alternative arrangements for them to fly to their respective destinations at the earliest. Full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling has been offered to passengers,' it said. (ANI)

The Hindu

3 hours ago

• The Hindu

Air India starts releasing interim compensation of ₹25 lakh each to relatives of crash victims, survivors

Air India on Saturday (June 22, 2025) said it has started releasing the interim compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and survivors of the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash. The airline said a team of trained psychologists and doctors has been deployed in Ahmedabad to provide trauma counselling and psychological support to the affected families or individuals. The team of medical personnel, including nurses and a pharmacist, has been deployed to address ongoing or emerging health needs, Air India said in a statement. 'The interim compensation began being released from June 20, with three families having received payments so far, and the remaining claims being processed,' Air India said. The airline had on June 14 announced that it will provide an interim compensation of ₹25 lakh or approximately GBP 21,500, to the families of each of the deceased and survivors of the airline's Boeing 787-8 plane crash in Ahmedabad to help address immediate financial needs. This is in addition to the compensation of ₹1 crore announced by the parent company, Tata Sons. Centralised helpdesk Air India said a centralised helpdesk, active since June 15, has been assisting families in processing claims for the interim compensation. This single-window system ensures faster documentation and helps initiate compensation procedures promptly, it stated. Air India said it has also been reaching out to those who were injured and the families of those who lost their lives on the ground to initiate the compensation process for them. The families are also being assisted, including during DNA identification, the airline said, adding that when the mortal remains are released by the hospital, at least one caregiver accompanies each family to facilitate the transportation as well as funerals, while ensuring the dignity and utmost respect for the deceased and their loved ones. Families are also being provided other comprehensive financial assistance during this difficult time, covering travel, accommodation, medical and funeral expenses, with additional needs addressed promptly, Air India added.