British celebrity wellness guru Jamie Meek and his husband posted a haunting video of themselves at the airport waiting to board the doomed Gatwick-bound Air India flight that crashed moments after it took off.
They are feared to be among the 242 victims who perished when the flight crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad bound for Gatwick.
Mr Meek, 45, and husband Fiongal Greenlaw, 39, who live in London, run a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called the Wellness Foundry, and had been in India on holiday.
In a chilling final social media video posted from Ahmedabad airport as they waited to board their doomed flight the couple were dressed in flowery shirts looking happy at the end of their break.
In the clip, Fiongal says: ‘We are at the airport just boarding. Goodbye India. Ten-hour flight back to England. What was your biggest takeaway Jamie?
Jamie replies: ‘I don’t know,’ with his partner laughing and responding: ‘Thanks for your contribution.’
Fiongal than jokes that his biggest takeaway was ‘don’t lose your patience with your partner’ to which Jamie responds with a smile: ‘You snapped at me at the airport for having chai.’
As other passengers mill in the background, Fiongal laughs at the camera and reveals that he is going back to Britain ‘happily, happily calm.’
British celebrity wellness guru Jamie Meek and his husband posted a haunting video of themselves at the airport waiting to board the doomed Gatwick-bound Air India flight
Mr Meek, 45, and husband Fiongal Greenlaw, 39, run a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called the Wellness Foundry
The couple had been in India on holiday
In other videos, the couple showed the stunning hotel they were staying in while in Ahmedabad having completed a seven-hour car journey.
Fiongal lies on a large bed as he speaks to the camera, showing off a giant swing in their room and describes the hotel as ‘beautiful.
He beams: ‘Feeling very, very happy.’
The couple are believed to have been in India for around two weeks and in a series of social media posts captured the happy time they had. This included getting henna tattoos, shopping for fine fabrics and other gifts and driving through chaotic traffic in a tuk-tuk.
They arrived in Ahmedabad just a day before flying back with Fiongal posting in a video: ‘So, it’s our last night in India and we’ve had a magical experience. Some mind-blowing things have happened. We are going to put all this together and create a vlog. It’s my first ever vlog about the whole trip and we want to share it.’
Jamie revealed what a memorable trip they had both had. He beams: ‘We have been on quite a journey and then spending our last night here in this beautiful hotel, it’s really been great way to round off the trip.’
According to its website, The Wellness Foundry was founded by Fiongal in 2018 after he had a ‘spiritual awakening’ following a mysterious illness.
The website adds: ‘Seeking healing beyond conventional methods, Fiongal delved into alternative practices that resonated deeply within his soul.’
They had appeared on ITV ‘s This Morning to promote their wellness brand. Pictured: Ben Shephard, Cat Deeley, Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, Josie Gibson ‘This Morning’ TV show, London, UK – 03 Apr 2025
Their company specialises in tarot and psychic readings, reiki and other alternative spiritual therapies
The company specialises in tarot and psychic readings, reiki and other alternative spiritual therapies.
The Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 244 passengers and crew including 53 Britons crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport today in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.
The plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, careened back to earth in the densely populated Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway around 1pm local time.
Shocking images shared to social media showed chunks of the plane’s fuselage and tail protruding from a demolished building.
Parts of the jet smashed into accommodation for doctors practising at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.
Remnants of the fuselage and the landing gear were seen dangling through a gaping hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-finished plates of food clearly visible on benches inside.
‘The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,’ a senior police officer told reporters at the scene.
Firefighters doused the smouldering piles of debris with their hoses as photos and videos taken by horrified residents in Meghani showed plumes of thick black smoke emanating from the crash site.
Emergency services are working fervently to locate survivors, but the scale of the damage displayed in early images suggests there are likely significant casualties.
The Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 244 passengers and crew including 53 Britons crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport today
A video posted to social media appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed
Parts of the jet appeared to have smashed into the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital
Remnants of the fuselage and the landing gear were seen dangling through a gaping hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-finished plates of food clearly visible on benches inside
The plane careened back to earth in the densely populated Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway around 1pm local time
hFirefighters work at the site where Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025
India’s Health Ministry confirmed that ‘many were killed’, but did not provide further details.
As of 11:30am UK time, at least 30 bodies have been recovered from buildings damaged in the crash, rescue personnel at the site said.
The cause of the tragedy is not yet known, but footage appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed.
It momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon. The jet was fuelled for a long-haul flight direct to Gatwick, intensifying the blast.
The flight reportedly reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it began to descend, according to flight tracking service Flightradar 24, which declared the plane’s transponder signal dropped just seconds after it left the runway.
‘We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take off,’ it said.
Air India’s flight manifest said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals on board the stricken jet.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane sent a mayday call moments before the crash.
Shocking images show chunks of the plane’s fuselage and tail protruding from a demolished building
Parts of the jet smashed into accommodation for doctors practising at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital
Emergency services are working fervently to locate survivors
India’s Health Ministry confirmed that ‘many were killed’, but did not provide further details
The cause of the tragedy is not yet known, but footage appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed
Civilians surround parts of the jet that seemingly smashed into a medical college canteen
The Air India flight crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport
Chunks of the plane’s fuselage and tail were seen protruding from a demolished building
The tail of the jet is seen protruding from a building in the Meghani area of the city
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It added the pilots were highly experienced – captain Sumeet Sabharwal boasted some 8,200 hours of flight time, according to the directorate, while first officer Clive Kundar had 1,100 hours of experience under his belt.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by news of the crash, adding that Britain was now working with Indian authorities to establish exactly what led to the incident.
‘My thoughts are with all those affected. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support,’ his statement read.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called images of the crash ‘devastating’ and said ‘my thoughts are with the passengers and their families’.
The Indian aviation minister’s office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the crash was ‘heartbreaking beyond words’, had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately.
Modi said the tragedy ‘has stunned and saddened us… In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.’
All relevant agencies were on high alert and coordinated efforts were underway, the aviation minister’s office added.
Air India’s Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran shared a heartfelt statement that read: ‘With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.
‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.
‘We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.’
Gatwick Airport subsequently confirmed the flight that was due to land at 18:25 today had crashed on departure.
Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline: ‘It’s a Boeing Dreamliner that has gone down – not certain whether they’ve managed to get anybody off the plane.
‘If it has indeed crash-landed and they can deploy the chutes out then they should be able to get people off in 90 seconds. I am aware there are fire appliances in attendance – this is a major incident.
‘It is very disappointing that it is a Dreamliner as it is a state-of-the-art Boeing. We cannot rule out security issues. But this is all speculation on my part.’
Emergency personnel work at the crash site of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025
Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025
The cause of the crash is not yet known. Emergency services are en route to the scene
Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 202
Weather conditions were calm at the time of the accident with clear skies and a windspeed of just seven knots, or eight miles per hour.
Indian news agency ANI reported police sources had confirmed 242 people were on board the flight.
India’s aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement: ‘Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. 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 Director General of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is en route to the site of the incident with a team of investigators, according to the Times of India.
Air India shared a brief statement in the wake of the disaster, writing on X: ‘Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025.
‘At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.’
Ahmedabad is the main city in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Ahmedabad airport said it had suspended all flight operations with immediate effect following the incident this morning.
The plane is seen descending rapidly with landing gear deployed seconds before erupting in a fireball
Citizens descended on the wreckage in the hope of finding survivors
Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025
The flight reportedly reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it began to descend, according to flight tracking service Flightradar 24, which declared the plane’s transponder signal dropped just seconds after it left the runway
Firefighters at the scene doused the smouldering piles of debris with their hoses as photos and videos taken by horrified residents in Meghani showed a huge plume of thick black smoke emanating from the crash site
Shocked residents are seen standing close to the scene as firefighters work to extinguish flames
Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from the crash site near the international airport this morning
Thick plumes of black smoke are seen rising from the site of the crash
Smoke trails at the scene of the crash
The 787 Dreamliner involved in today’s crash is a widebody, twin-engine plane. It is believed to be the first ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm.
The airline’s Boeing-737 overshot a ‘table-top’ runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground.
Twenty-one people were killed in that crash.
The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024.
Tata said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information.
Today’s tragedy is the latest in a string of disasters involving Boeing jets and comes just six months after a 737 crashed in South Korea, killing 179.
In October 2018, Boeing’s Lion Air flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, in Indonesia killing all 189 people on board.
Then, in March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed minutes after departing Addis Ababa, resulting in the deaths of 157 passengers and crew.
Shares of planemaker Boeing fell 8% in premarket US trading following today’s incident.
Boeing said in a statement it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information.
The crash comes days before the opening of the Paris Air Show, a major aviation expo where Boeing and European rival Airbus will showcase their aircraft and battle for jet orders from airline customers.
