Page 16 - Air India

Air India halts full-service ops in Imphal, AI Express to continue flights

Air India has discontinued the operation of its full-service carrier at the Imphal International Airport from June 15, but the airline's low-cost subsidiary AI Express will continue services here, AAI officials said on Monday. The decision was part of the airline's "long-standing and pre-planned" strategy, they said. "It is part of a long-standing, pre-planned strategic decision by the airline, and is in no way related to any recent incident," one of the airport officials said. Altogether, 241 people on board Air India's London-bound AI 171 flight were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport on June 12. "The move is part of a broader strategic realignment by the Tata Group, which owns the airline. Air India Express, the group's low-cost subsidiary, will continue its operations at Imphal, signalling a shift in service model but ensuring continued air connectivity," said another official of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) here. The Air

Delhi-bound Air India Dreamliner returns to Hong Kong due to tech glitch

Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, turned back as a precaution after the pilot detected a potential problem mid-air

Air India crash: Vijay Rupani to be cremated today with full state honours

According to officials, Rupani's mortal remains will be received from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital at 11:30 am and transported to Rajkot by air, where it is expected to arrive by 2 pm

Families of Air India crash victims decry delay in recovery efforts

Just one of two flight data "black boxes" have been recovered by investigators, and most victims' identities are still awaiting DNA testing

Cockpit voice recorder recovered in A-I crash that killed 241 on board

Officials investigating the Air India plane crash on Sunday confirmed that the Cockpit Voice Recorder black box has been found, a crucial discovery which will help identify the possible cause behind the deadly crash that killed 270 persons, including 241 persons on board. Earlier, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had confirmed that only the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the ill-fated plane was found. The officials confirmed the recovery of black boxes to P K Mishra, the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday inspected the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad and also visited the civil hospital where injured persons are undergoing treatment. Mishra chaired a high-level review meeting at Circuit House here and discussed ongoing relief, rescue, and investigation efforts with senior officials from the Central and state governments, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and Airports Authority of India, an official release ...

Working with other Tata group firms to assist crash victims' kin: Air India

Air India has begun the process of handing over the bodies of AI171 crash victims while assisting more than 400 relatives in Ahmedabad and conducting fleet-wide safety checks

Fast probe required: Crash investigation should be quick and credible

It should be noted that Air India itself, while troubled on several dimensions, has not had a major fatality due to a crash (as distinct from terrorist action) since Boeing 707 crash-landed in Mumbai

Air India Express Guwahati-Kolkata flight delayed by over 18 hours

Flight IX-1226 was delayed over 18 hours due to technical issues, with passengers alleging poor accommodation; Air India Express denied the claims and arranged a new aircraft

Air India crash: 47 victims identified via DNA; 24 bodies handed over

Authorities have confirmed 47 victims through DNA testing following the AI171 crash in Ahmedabad and handed over 24 bodies as Air India continues to support affected families

Aviation insurance premiums may see up to 10% spike post Air India crash

Following the AI-171 crash, global reinsurers may raise aviation rates, with insurers expecting 5-10 per cent premium hikes in FY27 amid mounting claims

A-I plane crash: Rupani's mortal remains identified, probe gathers pace

The mortal remains of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani have been identified through DNA test, officials said on Sunday, as investigations into the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad intensified. Various central and state government agencies, led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), were at the crash site here for a probe into the causes of the country's worst air disaster in three decades. So far, 32 victims have been identified and the mortal remains of 14 handed over to the relatives, additional civil superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reporters, as the process to identify the deceased through DNA tests gained pace three days after the tragedy. Rupani was among the 241 passengers killed in the horrific crash. One out of the 242 persons on board miraculously survived. "The DNA sample of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani matched (with that of his family members) today morning at 11.10 am," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sangha

A-I plane crash: 32 victims identified by DNA, 14 bodies handed over to kin

Authorities have so far identified 31 victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad through DNA testing and 12 families have claimed the mortal remains till now, an official said on Sunday. The process of DNA matching of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who also died in the June 12 plane crash, was underway, additional civil superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reporters. The victims identified so far were from different places in Gujarat and Rajasthan, he said. As many of the bodies are burnt beyond recognition or damaged otherwise, authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of victims of the horrific tragedy. "Thirty one DNA samples have matched till now, and 12 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from Udaipur, Vadodara, Kheda, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Botad districts," said Patel, professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College. The DNA matching process for former CM Rupani was st

How passenger in seat 11A became only survivor of Air India plane crash

Only the passenger in Seat 11A on Air India Flight 171 lived to tell the tale, a survival nothing short of a miracle

Air India crash: Gujarat to assign grief counsellors for victims' families

The Gujarat government will assign grief counsellors to the families of victims of the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash to deal with the mental trauma, a senior official has said. As many as 230 teams have been formed to coordinate with families of the victims, Gujarat relief commissioner and revenue secretary Alok Pandey told reporters on Saturday. In order to avoid any administrative problem, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation will issue a death certificate on the spot. The village patwari can then immediately issue a family relation card so that they do not face any inheritance issue, he said. Teams have been formed and assigned to individual families with a rank of a deputy collector or tehsildar rank officer. Bodies will be handed over to the families and taken in ambulance to the village or district with a police pilot, Pandey said. "A grief counsellor will be assigned to every family to deal with the mental trauma," Pandey said. The official said contact has been establishe

Turkiye govt denies involvement of Turkish Technic in Air India crash

The govt said under 2024 and 2025 deals with Air India, Turkish Technic maintains only B777 aircraft. The crashed Boeing 787-8 is not covered under these agreements

DGCA ramps up inspections of Boeing 787 jets following Air India crash

Air India so far has completed one-time inspections under the direction of India's aviation regulator across nine of the Dreamliner jets in its fleet

Miracle within tragedy: Aviation expert on lone survivor of A-I plane crash

The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment

IMA urges Tata Group to extend Rs 1 cr compensation to kin of deceased docs

The plea states that as per various constitutional provisions and a 2020 Supreme Court judgement which laid down detailed principles for assessing compensation

Identities of 11 plane crash victims ascertained through DNA tests

Authorities at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have so far identified eleven victims of the June 12 Air India plane crash through DNA testing and started the process to hand over the bodies to their relatives, officials said on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference, Dr Rajnish Patel, professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College, said the mortal remains of one victim were handed over to the family on Saturday while those of another two victims will be handed over by the day's end. "DNAs of 11 victims of Ahmedabad plane crash have matched with kin so far," he said. The civil hospital will contact the families as soon as a DNA match is found, and they should not rush to the hospital, he added. The bodies of eight victims, who were identified by their relatives and did not need DNA profiling, have already been handed over to their families by the hospital, officials had said earlier. Alok Pandey, Relief Commissioner and Revenue Secretary of Gujarat, said the deceased

'Tragedy calls for introspection': Naidu vows reforms after Air India crash

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu pledges full support and reforms after the Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad. A high-level probe and urgent aircraft inspections are now underway