Veteran Australian cricketer David Warner has reacted strongly to the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, criticizing Air India and vowing never to fly with the airline again.
The accident involved Air India’s AI 171 flight, which was en route from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport in London. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of approximately 274 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board and 33 individuals on the ground.
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The aircraft reportedly lost stability at an altitude of around 625 feet and crashed into the hostel of B.J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar area. Remarkably, there was only one survivor — 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — who managed to escape through the emergency exit from seat 11A. An investigation into the cause of the disaster is currently underway.
Warner responded to a social media post by a user named Vivek, who claims to be a former Air India crew member. In his post, Vivek alleged that this particular aircraft had known technical issues for years, which had been repeatedly recorded by crew, pilots, and engineers in the logbook. However, the airline allegedly continued to use the Dreamliner for its vital Gatwick route, lacking a suitable replacement.
Tagging this post, Warner expressed his outrage, declaring that he would never fly with Air India again.
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David Warner made his T20I debut for Australia in 2009 against South Africa and has since scored 3,277 runs in 110 matches at a strike rate of 142.47. The 38-year-old made his Test debut in 2011 against New Zealand, amassing 8,786 runs in 112 matches with an average of 44.59. In ODIs, the left-handed batter has accumulated 6,932 runs from 161 matches at a strike rate of 97.26.