New Delhi, June 12
At least 169 Indians and 53 British nationals were travelling in Air India’s flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick which crashed soon after take-off, an airline official said on Thursday.
The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1.38 p.m. carrying 242 passengers and crew members, also had seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian national on board.
The plane had 10 cabin crew, and two pilots - Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, a long-time Air India pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours.
The first major crash since the national carrier’s privatisation in January 2022, led to the Tata Group-managed airline mourning the incident by changing its official 'X' account profile and cover photo to black as a mark of solidarity and respect for the departed souls.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Air India, condoled the deaths by posting on X, “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.”
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said.