Boeing CEO cancels plan to attend Paris Air Show
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has canceled plans to attend the Paris Air Show next week following the crash of the 787-8 Dreamliner in India, Reuters reported Thursday.
Ortberg said the company will fully support the US National Transportation Safety Board and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in their investigative process, according to Reuters.
It's past 4 a.m. in Ahmedabad. Here's what we have learned in the last few hours
Despite the pitch dark conditions of the night, scores of police and security officers continue to comb the site of the plane crash in Ahmedabad, a big city in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Here’s a recap of everything we have learned in the last few hours:
All aboard the plane except one died: Air India confirmed in a statement that of the 242 people on board its plane, all but one died. That’s 241 confirmed fatalities from just the plane. The flight was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national.
Sole survivor: The only survivor of the crash is a British national of Indian origin and he is being treated in a hospital, the airline said. His name is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the Hindustan Times said. His British family said they spoke to him from his hospital bed, where he said he is “fine.” He is in a “not very critical” condition and could be released in the next couple of days, Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, told CNN.
Former minister believed to be among the dead passengers: Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, is believed to have died in the crash on Thursday, according to Indian government officials.
People on the ground are dead: The crash also killed people on the ground. The plane hit a hostel for doctors.
Investigation: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation, according to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu. Aviation officials from the US and UK are sending investigators to assist with the probe.
Boeing chief offers “full support” to India: Boeing’s president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said he spoke to Air India Chair N. Chandrasekaran after the crash. He said he offered the chair “our full support” and told him “a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau,” according to a statement.
He is "fine:" British family speak to sole survivor of plane crash
The British family of the sole survivor of the Air India crash have spoken to him from his hospital bed, where he said he is “fine.”
Air India confirmed the British man of Indian origin, named by the Hindustan Times as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was the only survivor on the plane carrying 242 people.
Ramesh was sitting next to his brother on the flight, his cousin Ajay Valgi told reporters on Thursday outside their family home in Leicester in England’s Midlands.
“Yes at least the family is happy that he’s ok but we’re still upset about the brother,” Valgi said.
“We are absolutely upset (about) things, not just because he’s our brother, but (because of) other people as well. There were 242 people on the flight, so obviously it’s not good news is it?” the cousin added.