Latest news with #FlightAI-171
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Told to change statement, then fired: Air India whistleblowers write to PM Modi
New Delhi: In a dramatic turn following the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, two former senior cabin crew members wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging they were wrongfully terminated last year after raising alarm over technical issues in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The letter claimed that, "the said accident was waiting to happen as our various statements and contentions relating to the technical aspects and defects in the Aircraft – (Dreamliner Aircraft B787/8 Series), were deliberately pulled under the carpet, ignored, overlooked or not considered seriously for reasons best known to Air India Ltd management (AI) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ....." The crew claimed the crash was 'waiting to happen,' and that their repeated warnings about aircraft defects -- especially a 2024 incident involving Dreamliner VT-ANQ -- were ignored by Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). According to the letter, the door's slide raft had deployed on landing in London without manual input, a claim initially supported by the pilot and crew. However, the signatories allege they were later pressured to change their statements, and when they refused, they were sacked without a proper enquiry. "We fail to understand why an informal discussion instead of an impartial full-fledged enquiry was sought to be conducted by DGCA, the Regulatory Authority, when such a grave incident relating to passenger and crew safety was reported", it said. Calling it their "last hope," the crew seeks the Prime Minister's intervention to reinstate them and investigate the Dreamliner's safety record. A day after this letter was shot off, Air India on Friday told IANS that the said cabin crew members were terminated for their 'misconduct and behaviour and continuing to falsify critical information during the course of an investigation'. 'The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing,' said the airline in a statement. This matter now reignites the tensions within the airline and its employees and measures on air travel safety.
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Business Standard
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Weeks before Air India crash, Parliament panel flagged funding shortfall
A report tabled by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism, Transport and Culture on March 25 had flagged 'a distinct imbalance in the allocation of funds across key aviation bodies'. The crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12 has now thrust those warnings back into the public eye. In the 2025–26 Budget Estimate, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was allocated ₹30 crore — nearly half of the ₹65 crore total budget set aside for aviation regulatory and safety bodies. In contrast, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), responsible for probing air crashes, received ₹20 crore, while the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), which oversees airport security, was allotted only ₹15 crore. The parliamentary panel expressed concern over this disproportionate distribution. It recommended a reassessment of the DGCA's large share to ensure greater efficiency and accountability, especially as the AAIB and BCAS are critical to handling emergencies and securing the country's expanding aviation infrastructure. Is India's airport growth outpacing its aviation safety budget? Since 2014, India's operational airports have doubled from 74 to 147, with a target of 220 by 2025–26. The panel cautioned that expanding services to Tier-II and Tier-III cities under the Udan scheme must be matched by proportional increases in funding for security and accident investigation. 'It is imperative to assess whether these funds are adequate to strengthen security infrastructure and enhance investigative capabilities. As aviation expands to Tier-II and Tier-III cities under the modified Udan scheme, security infrastructure and capabilities must be extended proportionally,' the report stated. How is understaffing affecting DGCA, BCAS, and AAI performance? The report also highlighted chronic vacancies across key aviation agencies: 53 per cent of sanctioned posts lie vacant in the DGCA, 35 per cent in BCAS, and 17 per cent in the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Committee members warned that understaffing could undermine safety reforms, even if budgets were increased. 'The committee is deeply concerned that chronic understaffing in these institutions could undermine safety, security, and service delivery standards, particularly as air traffic volumes continue to rise. The committee urges the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite the recruitment process to fill vacancies across DGCA, BCAS, and AAI, ensuring that regulatory oversight, security enforcement, and airport operations are not compromised,' the report said. What happened during the Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad? Flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into the campus of BJ Medical College minutes after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew, as well as 24 people on the ground. Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders; a preliminary report from the AAIB is awaited. Tata Group, owner of Air India, has announced ₹1 crore compensation for each victim's family. Will Parliament boost aviation safety budgets after the Air India crash? Parliamentarians are expected to revisit the committee's recommendations during the upcoming monsoon session. Whether the tragic lessons from Ahmedabad will translate into bigger budgets and faster hiring for AAIB and BCAS will be watched closely by India's aviation industry — now the world's third-largest.
The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Air India Ahmedabad plane crash victims
Grief surrounds as people lost their lives when a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into the B.J. Medical College in Meghani Nagar just moments after take-off on June 12, 2025. A tragedy that saddened everyone as many people's hopes and dreams became despair. Air India announced that 241 of the 242 passengers and crew had died in the crash. There is no confirmation yet on the number of deaths in the medical college and elsewhere in the area. The hospital mortuary has been pushed to its breaking point. Doctors and staff have transformed the post-mortem waiting area into an emergency mortuary. Dozens of anxious family members have been waiting outside an Ahmedabad hospital to collect the bodies of loved ones killed in the crash, as doctors were working overtime to gather dental samples from the deceased to run identification checks and DNA profiling. As of June 19, the authorities have identified 215 victims of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash through matching DNA samples, with 198 bodies already handed over to their families.
News18
16 hours ago
- General
- News18
‘Flew With Compassion': Air India Pays Tribute To Cabin Crew Of Ill-Fated Flight AI-171
Last Updated: Air India said that crew members' grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground. Air India on Friday paid rich tributes to cabin crew members of the ill-fated London-bound Flight AI-171 that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, saying that their grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground. In a special message, Air India wrote, 'With hearts full of sorrow, we remember the cabin crew members we lost – beloved colleagues, cherished friends, and the soul of every journey they were a part of. Their grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground. To passengers, they were calm and comforting faces. To us, they were family." With hearts full of sorrow, we remember the cabin crew members we lost – beloved colleagues, cherished friends, and the soul of every journey they were a part grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground. To passengers,… — Air India (@airindia) June 20, 2025 The airline extended solidarity with their family at this time of immense loss. 'Senior leaders from the Tata Group and Air India continue to stand beside their families and loved ones – to honour their memory, share in their grief, and offer quiet strength in a moment that words cannot ease." 'Their kindness, spirit, and dedication will forever remain a part of who we are. We remember: Aparna Amol Mahadik, Shradha Mahadev Dhavan, Deepak Balasaheb Pathak, Irfan Samir Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Maithili Patil, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, Saineeta Abin Chakravarti, Manisha Thapa and Roshni Rajendra Songhare. You flew with compassion. You will be remembered with love," the post added. The body of Air India cabin crew Lamnunthem Singson reached her hometown in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Thursday night, after being flown to Dimapur airport in Nagaland. Tragically, another cabin crew member from Manipur, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, who belonged to the Meitei community, also died in the same disaster. Her body is yet to arrive in the state. Ahmedabad Plane Crash India witnessed one of its worst aviation tragedies on Thursday after a London-bound Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. 241 out of 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 (AI 171) and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed in the crash. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kunder. Two senior cabin crew members have been identified as Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik. The other cabin crew members were Saineeta Chakravarti, Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam Sharma, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa. One person survived the tragedy. The lone survivor was identified as Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who was in a different row inside the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Meanwhile, 211 victims have been identified so far through DNA matching, while 189 bodies are handed over to their families. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or severely damaged. The aircraft had 232 passengers and 10 crew members, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, on board. First Published: June 20, 2025, 11:39 IST
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Air India Crash: Family In Tears As Last Rites Of Co-Pilot Clive Kunder Held In Mumbai
The mortal remains of First Officer Clive Kunder, co-pilot of Air India Flight AI-171, were brought to his family home in Goregaon (West) and laid to rest at Sewri Christian Cemetery. Kunder, one of 242 people aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, was among nearly all passengers and crew killed when the aircraft struck the B.J. Medical College Hostel complex and erupted in flames. Kunder's close friends, neighbours and extended family to pay their final respects before the funeral procession moved to Sewri Christian Cemetery.#airindiacrash #clivekunder #ai171 #ahmedabadplanecrash #boeing787 #copilot #lastrites #mumbaifuneral #aviationtragedy #flight171 #airindia #dreamliner #planecrashes #indianaviation #aviationnews #mumbainews #finalgoodbye #toi #toibharat
