Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson has resigned after four years at the helm, prompting the airline to form a committee to find his replacement. Wilson's tenure saw significant changes, including the merger of airlines and fleet expansion, but also faced challenges such as the London-bound flight crash and safety concerns.
Flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, which were suspended earlier following the crash of a Gatwick (London)-bound Air India Boeing 787-8, have now commenced with limited flights, the private airport operator said.
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the Air India pilot has not been blamed in the AAIB's preliminary report into the June 12 plane crash that claimed 260 lives. The court is hearing a plea for a parallel inquiry into the accident.
Heavy monsoon rains have severely impacted Mumbai and its surrounding areas, leading to landslides, suspension of train services, and at least 13 fatalities over the past few days. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was also shut due to a concrete pillar collapse and waterlogging.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were among scores of world leaders who offered condolences to the people of India in wake of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
"Decoding of the black box is going to give in-depth insight into what happened moments before the plane crash," Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said at a briefing in the national capital.
Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Thursday said the airlines is doing everything to assist the emergency response teams at the plane crash site and will provide all necessary support to those impacted by the mishap.
Air India's first refurbished Boeing 787-8 aircraft has landed in Delhi, marking a milestone in the airline's USD 400 million investment plan to upgrade its wide-body fleet. The aircraft features comprehensive interior upgrades, including new seats and in-flight entertainment systems.
Anil Khimani, the last victim of the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash identified through DNA tests, has been cremated in Gujarat's Kutch district, bringing closure to the family after two weeks of wait and distress that included submission of samples twice.
The family of a filmmaker killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash used the compensation they received to clear debt and buy a house, fulfilling his promise to them.
At Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, DNA samples from over 190 relatives are being matched with victims of the Air India crash, a process expected to take up to 72 hours.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft -- VT-ANB -- was 11.5 years old and had flown for more than 41,000 hours, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Air India reiterated that its priority remains extending assistance to the families.
Air India will begin operating flights between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow from August 1, replacing the Gatwick route. The airline is also partially resuming domestic and international services suspended after a fatal plane crash. Some routes will remain suspended until September 30, while others will see increased frequency.
Providing an update on the flight that crashed carrying 242 people including 12 crew members onboard, the senior Ahmedabad police officer stated that about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the crash site had been cleared.
An Air India aircraft with 242 passengers on board heading to London crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, the police said.
Air India's flight to London from Ahmedabad, which has started operating with a new code post the June 12 crash of AI-171, was cancelled on Tuesday due to "operational issues", an airport official said.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas joined her industry colleagues in mourning the loss of lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Four buildings -- Atulyam 1, 2, 3 and 4 -- which were damaged in the crash are being vacated, and occupants will be given alternative accommodations.
The senior official of Air India said that no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection was completed, he said in the email sent to B787 pilots.
A minute's silence was observed at Lord's to pay tribute to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, ahead of start of play on Day 3 of the World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa.
There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad.
More than 30 hours have passed since the horrific crash of Air India's London-bound flight in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after its take-off from the city airport snuffed out the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers and 12 crew members.
Neither anyone from the airline (Air India), nor from the government has contacted them so far, he said.
All the 12 cabin crew members, including two pilots, on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India flight were killed in the Ahmedabad air crash on Thursday.
The Supreme Court on Friday said no one blamed the chief pilot of the Air India Dreamliner for the June 12 crash, which claimed 260 lives, and asked his 91-year-old father not to carry any emotional burden.
A five-member team, headed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, is probing the fatal crash of the Air India aircraft last month in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report and appointed the team.
The Tata Group has begun scouting for a suitable candidate to head Air India, as the tenure of the incumbent, Campbell Wilson, will end next year, sources have said. Meanwhile, the Group is also looking to appoint a new managing director for its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express.
Aparna Mahadik, 42, was on board the Air India flight AI171 that tragically crashed shortly after take off from Ahmedabad airport. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people.
Efforts are on recover the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 which crashed in Ahmedabad as its analysis will provide vital clues about what triggered the disaster, said police and Fire Brigade officials on Friday.
Authorities will conduct a survey of the areas surrounding the Ahmedabad airport, in the wake of last week's Air India plane crash that claimed 270 lives, to check whether any structures were violating height norms and posing a threat to aircraft safety, an official said on Thursday.
Both the CVRs and FDRs were recovered within a week after the accident. One was retrieved from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16.
Under the civil aviation ministry, AAIB is responsible for the classification of safety occurrences, involving aircraft operating in the Indian airspace into accidents and serious incidents.
It added that as per international protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organisation, all information on the investigation will be provided by the government of India.
There have been some cases where the entire family has perished or both spouses died in the crash, which are making the claims process particularly complex.
When the Air India 171 plane plunged into the BJ Medical College's residential complex Ahmedabad last week, Manisha Kachhadiya and her 8-month-old son Dhyaansh were in one of the buildings affected by the crash.
'11A' is among the six seats in the first row of the economy class of Air India's B787-8 planes. It is the window seat near one of the emergency exit doors as well as the aircraft galley area, according to the seat map.
The Tata-owned airlines said that 169 Indians, 53 British, 1 Canadian and 7 Portuguese were on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
The area around the crash site is densely populated.
Soon after the takeoff, the pilot of ill-fated Air India aircraft gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller.
