A passenger who flew on the same Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft just two hours before it crashed near Ahmedabad airport has claimed he noticed alarming technical faults during his journey.
Akash Vatsa, an entrepreneur, posted a series of videos on X, claiming he flew on the same aircraft from Delhi to Ahmedabad barely two hours before it departed again for London as flight AI171. That flight, bound for Gatwick with 242 people on board, met with a catastrophic accident around 2 pm on Thursday, crashing into the hostel mess of BJ Medical College near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Live Mint reported.
“I was in the same d*mn flight 2 hours before it took off from AMD. I came in this from DEL-AMD. Noticed unusual things in the place.Made a video to tweet to @airindia i would want to give more details. Please contact me," Vatsa posted.
In one of the videos filmed mid-flight and shared online, Vatsa highlighted the malfunctioning air-conditioning and broken entertainment systems. "We are almost about to taxi. But the AC is not working. Look at everyone. AC is not working at all. And as usual, the TV screens are not working. Not even the light is working. Is this what you are providing?" he said. His post quickly gained traction, garnering over four million views within hours.
Another clip shows Vatsa visibly frustrated. “Nothing is working, I don’t know why I booked this flight,” he said. He later posted that he had decided against flying back with Air India that night. Live Mint reported that the authenticity of his claims has not been independently verified.
Air India, in a statement on X, confirmed the crash of flight AI171 and said the aircraft had 242 passengers and crew on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian.
The flight took off at 1.38 pm from Runway 23 of the Ahmedabad airport. Shortly after departure, the pilot issued a distress ‘May Day’ call to the air traffic control, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, there was reportedly no response from ATC. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also reported to be among the passengers.
Emergency crews rushed to the site for firefighting, rescue and evacuation operations. Details about casualties remain unconfirmed at the time of writing.
While Vatsa's experience has drawn widespread attention, some users on X questioned the connection between in-flight entertainment issues and flight safety. One comment read: “This is always the case with Air India. Always shoddy entertainment system and seats. Entertainment not functioning properly can’t be the reason for the crash.”
Others expressed concern and sympathy. “Thank you for posting to bring awareness and I’m glad you’re safe. This is incredibly tragic. My heart goes out to everyone and loved ones of this Air India flight,” said another user.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
