Air India blacks out social media headers, display pics after Ahmedabad plane crash
Air India has blacked out its social media display images following the crash of flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London
Air India has removed its social media header and display images after the airline’s flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed minutes after take-off this afternoon. Air India’s signature red profile pictures on Instagram, Facebook and X have been blacked out.
The airline said it is cooperating with authorities investigating the accident. The cause of the crash has not yet been ascertained.
Rescue work is underway in the residential area of Ahmedabad where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down. Fire services reached the spot shortly after reports emerged.
Sources say that chances of there being any survivors are slim.
Air India statement on Ahmedabad plane crash
The full-service carrier confirmed that flight AI171, with 242 people on board, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The flight took off at 1:38 pm and crashed five minutes later.
Of the 242 people on board, two were pilots, 10 were crew members and 230 were passengers.
“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals,” Air India said in a statement.
“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” it said, adding that “Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”
Mayday call before crash
The plane issued a mayday call and "crashed immediately after takeoff", the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.
Data from flight tracking platform FlightRadar has revealed that the Air India plane gained an altitude of 625 feet before it crashed.
All flights out of Ahmedabad airport have been suspended until further notice.
(Also read: ‘Dead bodies, debris’: Eyewitness recalls hearing ‘massive sound’ during Air India plane crash)
