Air India CEO Campbell Wilson issues second statement after plane crash — 'Will continue to do everything...'

Air India Plane Crash: Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on Friday released his second message in less than 24 hours in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Campbell Wilson visited the AI-171 plane crash site in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Friday.

A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, the airline confirmed post-midnight on Thursday.

“The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 Hours, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform you that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,” Air India posted on X.

The flight, which was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.

What Campbell Wilson said?

Confirming his visit to the crash site in Ahmedabad, CEO Campbell Wilson said, “I am sharing this message from Ahmedabad where Air India Flight, A171 to Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off yesterday.

“Tragically, since my first briefing, we have confirmed that 241 of the 242 passengers and crew perished in the incident. All of us at Air India are devastated by this loss, and grieve for those affected and their families, and their loved ones,” he said.

Air India's Logistical Support At Crash Site in Ahmedabad

Wilson also provided an update on the logistical support being provided by the airline company at the crash site. He said, ”Air India's advanced team of nearly 100 caregivers and 40 engineering staff has now arrived at Ahmedabad. The technical team is now helping at the site and our caregivers are providing support to the families. Many more caregivers are travelling to Ahmedabad to provide further support."

“We have set up Friends and Relatives Assistance Centres at Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Gatwick, and London for the next of kin of our passengers and crew members. These centres are facilitating their travel to Ahmedabad and providing them full support.”

Air India Plane Crash: On Compensating the Victims

On compensating the next of kin for the passengers who lost their lives in the London-bound Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Campbell Wilson said, “The Tata group, our parent company, has announced they will provide 1 crore rupees or approximately 85,000 GBP to the families of each person who lost their life and will cover the medical expenses of those injured”.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson did not mention the plane crash’s lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, in his second message after visiting the crash site in Ahmedabad.

The lone survivor of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin. He was seated in 11A near the emergency exit and managed to escape through a broken emergency door after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff.

Air India Plane Crash: On doctors' hostel involved in accident

The Air India plane that crashed on 12 June was Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB). The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick. It reached only about 600–650 feet in altitude before issuing a MAYDAY call and crashing into a residential area near the airport.

“We are deeply concerned with the well-being of the students of the medical hostel involved in the accident,” Wilson said, adding, “Air India is committed to providing full and unstinting assistance in these difficult times.”

The Air India flight AI-171 crashed into the intern doctors' hostel building of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar area shortly after takeoff. At least eight to 10 people died in the hostel, including four medical students, with many others injured or missing.

Air India Plane Crash: On visiting crash site in Ahmedabad

Wilson, who was in Ahmedabad on 13 June, said, “This morning I visited the crash site and was deeply moved by the scenes. I also met key stakeholders in the government and assured them that Air India is committed to full cooperation with those working on the ground and to the investigations.”

“We know that the investigations will take time, but we will be fully transparent and we will support the process for as long as it takes. Air India will continue to do everything we can to care for those affected by this tragedy, and to uphold the trust placed in us,” Wilson added.