Sole survivor of Air India crash demands ‘honesty and answers’ one year on

The only survivor of the India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in June 2025 has called for “honesty, transparency and answers” a year on from the disaster, and spoken about his “significant psychological scars” and financial hardship.Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, has previously described his fate as a “miracle” after being the only person to survive the incident, in which a Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport.The crash killed 241 people onboard the London-bound flight, including 169 Indian nationals and 52 Britons, as well as 19 people who were on or near the site of the incident. A further 67 were seriously injured.Ramesh, who lost his brother in the crash, demanded answers as investigators are yet to publish their findings. Last month, India’s civil ​aviation minister said the investigation was in the “last stage” and the report would “mostly” be finished by the anniversary of the crash, on 12 June.Exactly 30 days after the crash last year, the Indian authorities released a preliminary report, which was in line with standard procedure. It found both of the plane’s fuel switches had moved to the “cut-off” position “immediately” after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine.Speaking to the Press Association, Ramesh said there were more “unanswered questions” he wanted addressed, and that his trauma had not ended on the day of the crash. “I live with the significant psychological scars, the loss of my brother, and the constant unanswered questions around how and why this happened,” he said.“I know those questions are not just on my mind; they are on the minds of every affected family. More than anything, people need honesty, transparency and answers. Nothing will ever change what happened, but families deserve clarity.”Ramesh has received £21,500 from India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India to support his wife and five-year-old son, according to his representative, Sanjiv Patel, but continues to face financial hardship as well as psychological and emotional.“We’ve repeatedly asked to meet the chief executive of India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India but that has not happened,” Patel said. “We recently met with executives of India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India and representatives connected to the Tata Group [which has a controlling stake in the business].“Those discussions were constructive and have resulted in some positive progress, although a number of important issues remain under discussion.”Patel said that, due to the impact of the crash, Ramesh had not been able to return to work as normal and his family was living on less than £1,000 a month.Ramesh is also taking civil action. Patel said: “Despite one of the worst aviation disasters involving British citizens in recent years, neither Vishwash nor many of the affected families we have spoken to have received any direct contact or tailored support from the UK government.”An India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India spokesperson confirmed that representatives from India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India and the Tata Group had met Ramesh, and remained in “close contact” with him and his team. The company said they were “actively working to ensure that appropriate support continues to be extended to him”.Paul McClorry at Hudgell Solicitors said civil claims were being considered against a number of potential defendants. “We are awaiting the findings of the investigations, and we should finally start to see some clarity as to how and why this awful disaster happened, and, crucially, how it could have been avoided,” he said.The UK Foreign Office has been approached for comment.