London-Bound Air India Flight Returns to Mumbai After Safety Concern, Says Report

London-Bound Air India Flight Returns to Mumbai After Safety Concern: Thursday’s Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Although the cause remains unclear, some analysts doubt it will affect global demand for Boeing planes, which safety issues have been plagued on other types of aircraft. Air India confirmed that 241 out of 242 people aboard the flight have died.

The aircraft, bound for London, plunged into the Meghani area of the city, sending up a massive plume of black smoke and triggering an immediate emergency response.

Also Read: “I Was on the Same Flight 2 Hours Earlier”: Passenger Claims He Flew Air India Boeing 787‑8 That Later Crashed

A single passenger survived the crash, according to a senior Indian official. The airline said there were no other survivors.

The ill-fated flight was carrying:

• 169 Indian nationals
• 53 British nationals
• 7 Portuguese nationals
• 1 Canadian national

This development comes just a day after the catastrophic crash of another London-bound Air India flight (Flight AIC171) that departed from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The pilots reportedly gave a ‘Mayday’ call immediately after takeoff, signaling a life-threatening emergency, but did not respond to subsequent calls made by the airport traffic control.

Also Read: Woman Who Missed Air India Flight by 10 Minutes Recalls Lucky Escape: ‘My Body Is Shivering’

After meeting the sole survivor of the crash in the hospital, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said none of the other passengers could be saved. “Due to the huge amount of fuel at 1.25 lakh litres and high temperature from the explosion, no one could be rescued,” he said. The survivor was identified as Vishwaskumar Ramesh, who was travelling in the A11 seat of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, heading to London with his brother.

“It’s a terrible tragedy, but given what little we know now ... I don’t think it’s likely to have a very big impact on Boeing,” said Richard Aboulafia, a longtime aerospace analyst and managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory.

The aircraft was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours.

Air India and aviation authorities have begun investigations, while global aviation regulators have placed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program under renewed scrutiny, especially after a series of safety incidents involving various Boeing models.

Also Read: Passenger on Seat 11A Survived Air India Crash; Trouble Started 30 Seconds Into Flight