Air India forced to abort flight over mid-air issue days after horror crash
An Air India flight travelling from Hong Kong to was forced to make a U-turn this morning after the pilot reported a suspected technical issue mid-air.
Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, left Hong Kong for Delhi before quickly returning to its origin as a precautionary measure, reports the Hindustan Times. It comes just days after an Air India bound for crashed and onboard. The flight, which departed Ahmadabad Airport in Gujarat, India, came down moments after taking off on Thursday afternoon. Air was already before the horror incident, believed to have claimed the lives of 169 Indian nationals, 52 Brits, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian passenger.
The only survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, told local news that he saw the aircraft crew and passengers die around him but managed to flee when the plane suddenly split in two and threw him out with only minor injuries. Mr Ramesh, who was in seat 11A on the Boeing 787 flight, later said "has no idea how he survived" one of India's deadliest aviation disasters.
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On Friday, India's aviation regulator ordered extra safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the move was a "preventive measure" following Thursday's fireball smash, which also injured residents of the densely populated Meghani area where the plane came down.
One of the aircraft's two black boxes was recovered on the same day, marking "an important step forward in the investigation" into the tragedy, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said.
Among the Brits killed on Air India flight 171 were wellness influencers Fiongal and husband Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who co-founded the Wellness Foundry and made appearances on ’s This Morning to showcase the brand. The couple had travelled to India on holiday and posted a short video from Ahmedabad airport reflecting on their trip - moments before boarding the doomed jet.
Businessman Akeel Nanawaba, 36, his partner Hanna Vorajee, 30, and their four-year-old daughter, Sarah were returning home from a five-day family celebration in India when the plane crashed last week. Another British family on board was award-winning hotel manager Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam, and their children Amani, four, and Zayn.
Raxa Modha, 55, her two-year-old grandson Rudra, and daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar were believed to have been flying back to England for a memorial service for Ms Modha's late husband when the crash claimed their lives.