Vir Das defends Air India after plane crash in Ahmedabad: 'They are the best crew in the sky’

On Thursday, Vir Das took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give a shout-out to Air India, saying he is standing with them.

Air India is getting a lot of hate following the crash of its London-bound flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on Thursday, which claimed over 260 lives and left several injured. Amid the intense backlash, comedian Vir Das has come forward to support the airline, saying he can’t imagine how hard it is for them to do their job right now.

Vir Das opens up about his controversial monologue, I come from two Indias. (Sujit Jaiswal / AFP)

Vir Das gives shoutout to Air India

On Thursday, Vir took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give a shout-out to Air India, saying he is standing with them.

“It’s a tragic day for so many families. And all our thoughts and prayers are with them. I just wanted to add my support for the crew. I’ve flown Air India all my life. It is not an airline without problems but without fail, I know them to be the best crew in the sky,” Vir wrote.

He added, “Time will tell what happened on this tragic flight. I cannot imagine how hard it is for them to do their job right now having lost their own. For the crew, just to say one stands with you. And hopes to see you soon on a flight”.

What do we know about the Air India plane crash

On Thursday, London-bound Air India crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The crash occurred just 33 seconds after takeoff when the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck a building near BJ Medical College’s doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar locality.

The aircraft, en route to London Gatwick, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. At least 260 people are confirmed dead, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Only one person is believed to have survived the crash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Ahmedabad today. In the wake of the incident, the PM posted on X: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words.” Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu and home minister Amit Shah, who visited the site, described the scale of devastation as “unimaginable.”