The family of a British influencer couple have confirmed they were on board the fatal Air India flight that crashed on Thursday, claiming the lives of hundreds.
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 45, and his husband Jamie Meek, 39, were feared to have boarded the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport around 1.40pm local time.
All but one person abroad the flight are feared to have died after the plane slammed into the densely populated Meghani area of the city.
The couple, who own a wellness and healthy lifestyle brand called the Wellness Foundry, posted a video onto their company's Instagram page showing themselves waiting at the gate at Ahmedabad airport on Thursday morning.
The celebrity pair, who had previously appeared on This Morning to promote their spiritual centre, had flown out to India for a wellness retreat and regularly shared updates about their trip on social media.
Jamie's brother Nick Meek confirmed on Thursday evening that the pair had been on the doomed flight, which carried 242 passengers, and were expected to be coming home to the family.
Nick told MailOnline: "We were expecting him home tonight. He should have landed at 6.30pm and then driven up for about 11pm to get his dog who is staying with our Mum.
"She is not in a good way. It is all very raw for her at the moment. It's a lot to take in and we only heard this news a couple of hours ago.
"Jamie and his husband Fin had been out there for 10 days as a couple to do a wellness retreat.'They both worked in holistics and had their own business."
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In the last video posted before they boarded the plane, Fiongal can be heard saying: "We are at the airport, just boarding. Goodbye India."
Jamie then adds: "10 hour flight back to England!"
Both were seen laughing and joking in the clip, which was uploaded shortly before the plane took off.
Fiongal also said: "My biggest takeaway is to not lose your patience with your partner. We’re going back happily, happily, happily calm."
The couple were believed to have been in India for around two weeks and shared social media posts of themselves getting henna tattoos, shopping for fine fabrics and driving through chaotic traffic.
It comes as a British man has been confirmed to have miraculously survived the crash.
Indian police had previously said there were 'no survivors', meaning all 242 passengers – including 53 Brits – were presumed dead.
But Indian media later reported that 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, had survived the deadly crash.
He is quoted as saying: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."
Unverified videos show the man, who was said to be in seat 11a, walking around and talking to locals.
He is said to have “impact injuries” on his chest, eyes and feet.
Flight AI171 had a capacity of 256 passengers, with 230 said to be onboard at the time of the crash, alongside 12 crew members.
53 Britons were aboard the flight at the time of the crash, Air India has confirmed.
Column of smoke billows into the sky over Ahmedabad after plane crashes
It's believed the aircraft crashed into a building housing doctors, as well as a student canteen.
In a statement on Thursday morning, Gatwick Airport confirmed: "We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25."
Harrowing footage posted to social media shows dark plumes of smoke rising into the air in a built-up area close to the airport.
Further videos appearing to show the aircraft flying low over the city rooftops before disappearing has also emerged, with a fireball emerging in the distance after the jet goes out of sight.
Follow live: Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner heading for Gatwick crashes shortly after take-off
Footage shows moment plane crashes in Ahmedabad
According to flight tracking app Flightradar24, signal from the aircraft was lost at 10:08 local time.
The foreign office said the UK is "working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved".
British nationals who require consular assistance have been advised to call 020 7008 5000.
The flight's scheduled departure time was 09:50 local time, with a scheduled arrival time at London Gatwick of 18:25 GMT.
This Air India crash is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has crashed in this way.
It comes as India's Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu says he is "shocked and devastated" following news of the crash.
Among names listed in the passenger manifest is that of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, listed as passenger number 12.
Shocking images show chunks of the plane's fuselage and tail protruding from buildings close to the crash site, as plumes of smoke emerge from a demolished building.
Horrifying footage from the scene also shows the injured on gurneys as paramedics wheel the injured away.
Dozens of members of the emergency services are currently on the scene, with mass injuries expected as a result of the densely populated crash site.
Officials are yet to comment on the total number of casualties and whether there are any survivors.
Smoke fills the sky after plane crash in Ahmedabad
Police have said the plane crashed into a "civilian area", adding the incident happened "outside the airport perimeter".
It's believed the plane came down on a building used to house doctors working in the region.
Air India confirmed that of the passengers aboard, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.
It comes as Buckingham Palace said the King is being kept updated on the developing situation after the Gatwick-bound plane crashed.
Some of the pics of the horrific Ahmedabad crash being shared on social media.
Prayers for all onboard. pic.twitter.com/JtN3qOKqxC— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) June 12, 2025
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, India's aviation minister, added: "We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.
"Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.
"My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families."
The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.
The Airline has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information.
The relatively new model of aircraft launched 14 years ago, with Boeing celebrating the fact the Dreamliner had hit a milestone – carrying 1bn passengers – just six weeks ago.
Following news of the crash, the plane maker's stocks tumbled during US pre-market trading, with shares falling more than 9%.
