The Indian Australian community, along with millions around the world, are in deep shock over the tragic incident of AI 171, an Air India flight that crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad on 12 June. With death toll over 250 and rising, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of loved ones who were lost in this tragedy. Indian-Aussies on Air India
It hits home hard, particularly because amongst Indians living in Australia, Air India is the preferred airline of travel, especially for the elderly, students, and for young travellers travelling alone.
It is the only airline which flies directly between Sydney and Melbourne to Delhi or Mumbai. No need to rush for a connecting flight in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Kuala Lumpur — a single 12.5-hour direct flight takes you straight to your destination. Besides this, there is the comfort of familiar food and languages spoken.
Many of us may well have been on the aircraft that crashed – it flew to Australia frequently, including only days ago.
Currently, there are 17 Air India flights per week between Australia and India and there have been promises to increase this in the coming years – not only for the fast-growing VFR travellers but also for the increasing business opportunities between the two countries.
As our national carrier, Air India invokes much pride amongst the Indian diaspora. While we may complain about the service or the entertainment or other things – in the same manner as Australians do about their national airline Qantas – it is still our first choice of overseas travel. In an island nation, airlines are more than transport — they’re lifelines to our loved ones. Indian-Aussies on Air India
There was a surge of pride when the government-owned Air India was sold back to its original founders, the well-regarded corporate house Tata. The legendary JRD Tata launched Air India in 1932 and with it, India’s aviation sector.
Today Tata is known globally for the quality of their services, professionalism and long-term vision.
After their acquisition in 2022, the airline embarked on an ambitious fleet modernisation plan.
In 2023, Air India made world headlines as it confirmed orders for 470 aircraft, comprising both Airbus and Boeing models, in what was one of the largest global airline orders.
In response to the incident on 12 June, the Tata Group has announced that it will provide $200,000 to the families of each victim.
The community is in shock, with WhatsApp buzzing and social media overflowing since the news broke on the evening of 12 June. The sheer scale of this tragedy is hard to comprehend — a full plane with 242 people on board, two highly experienced pilots with over 9,000 hours of flying between them, and more than 125,000 litres of aviation fuel crash-landing in a densely populated area.
Prayer meetings have been planned for this weekend to honour those who lost their lives in the tragedy and to offer strength to their families, friends, and loved ones. A special candlelight vigil is being held at 5 pm in Harris Park this evening. The Indian consulate in Sydney is planning on a condolence book which people can sign.
A deeply tragic time for the Indian diaspora, still reeling from the recent international skirmish that dominated headlines just weeks ago. Indian-Aussies on Air India
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