Former Australian cricketer David Warner has vowed to never fly Air India against after the recent plane crash disaster that killed 274 people.
On June 12, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in 274 fatalities, including 241 onboard and 33 on the ground.
The aircraft lost stability at approximately 625 feet altitude and descended rapidly within a minute of departure, crashing into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad.
The sole survivor, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated in seat 11A near an emergency exit and managed to escape the wreckage with injuries.
Investigations are ongoing, with both black boxes recovered, one of which sustained minor damage.
Preliminary reports suggest potential mechanical failures, with the aircraft’s landing gear possibly still deployed during takeoff.
Former Australian cricket star David Warner will not fly Air India again after the recent crash
Warner, his wife Candice and their three children are seasoned travellers, including flying on Air India planes
Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India
Warner, who recently returned to Pakistan for the completion of the PSL, shared an alleged account from an ex-Air India crew person named Vivek that had been posted to social media.
‘Hey! I’m an ex air india crew and this was a frequent aircraft that I’d fly,’ the original post read.
‘This aircraft has had issues for YEARS. Literally years.
‘The crew, pilots, engineers, literally everyone has always mentioned about it in the log book.
‘But the company didn’t have a spare Dreamliner for their most precious Gatwick sector. Which is why we were always made to fly this aircraft.
‘I’ve myself had an engine failure on this aircraft. Thankfully we landed back safely.
‘It was a similar case where we took off and immediately landed back without being in air for even 30 mins.
‘Here, no staff but solely the company is at fault. But the company won’t let any staff talk about it on a public channel. They’d rather blame the staff and not take accountability.’
Warner shared this alleged post from an ex-Air India employee that claimed the Dreamliner that crashed had known issues
Warner also posted vision of United States Senator Josh Hawley who recently grilled the Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun over 737 safety hazards.
Warner has had issues with Air India before, posting this complaint to social media in March
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the information in this post is factual or that Air India is at fault for the tragedy.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered enhanced maintenance checks on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet.
However Warner shared the post with the caption: ‘If this is true it’s absolutely shocking. Thoughts go out to all the families.’
He tagged the post with @airindia and also wrote that he would not continue to fly with the Indian airline.
‘I would never fly @airindia ever again after this and my last interaction with them,’ Warner posted.
The previous incident Warner is referring to happened in March, when he and hundreds of other passengers were forced to wait in an Air India plane that did not have any pilots.
‘We’ve boarded an aircraft without any pilots and have been waiting for hours. Given that you don’t have any pilots for the aircraft, why would you still board passengers? Warner posted to X at the time.
Air India addressed the issue in a social media response at the time.
Warner has spent enormous amounts of time in India as a cricket player, for Australia and in the Indian Premier League
Ambulances are seen parked near the post-mortem room at a hospital before transferring victims’ dead bodies to a mortuary in Ahmedabad
Relatives and friends gather outside the family home of Ramesh Viswashkumar, the sole British survivor of the Air India Ahmedabad Airport crash
‘Departure was delayed because the crew running your flight was delayed on a previous assignment that was impacted by these problems. Thank you for choosing to fly with us, and we appreciate your patience,’ Air India said on X.
Warner also shared footage of United States Senator Josh Hawley who recently grilled the Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun over 737 safety hazards.
‘@Boeing another plane gone down. Innocent lives lost, sack people to make profit for their executives. Disgraceful,’ Warner posted as the caption.
Air India is co-operating with authorities in the wake of the tragedy.
‘Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones,’ it said in a statement.
‘A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.’
In a separate statement, Boeing said: ‘We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.’
Warner became one of the most successful overseas players in history in the Indian Premier League and is a local favourite.
Over 176 matches, he scored 6397 runs at an average of 41.54 and a strike rate of 139.91.
He notched up four centuries and 61 fifties, and claimed the Orange Cap as the league’s leading running scorer three times – in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Warner also captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to their only IPL title in 2016.
The left-hander is also the fourth highest run-scorer in the league’s history, behind only Indian legends Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Warner went unsold in the most recent IPL auction and played in the Pakistan Super League instead.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating.
‘In this time of tragedy, Australia’s thoughts are with everyone affected,’ he posted on the social media platform X.
