DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Angela Rayner has said the United Kingdom and India are united in grief after the Ahmedabad-London Air India crash last week.
Speaking at a multi-faith memorial service at India House in London on Monday evening, Rayner was joined by other parliamentarians, Foreign Office officials and members of the Indian community to pay tribute to the lives lost.
Spiritual messages were shared by representatives of different faiths and floral tributes were laid during the memorial.
“What struck me over the last few days is that the UK and India may be two countries separated by a vast distance, but in the ways that really count we are so very, very close,” Rayner said at the High Commission of India. “We mark our bond today in a simple and profound way. We grieve together. I'd like to extend my condolences to everybody who's here today, and beyond the High Commission. The UK is with you and will continue to support you.”
Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad last Thursday. The plane was heading to London Gatwick. Of the passengers and crew, only one survived. In total, 271 people died, including some on the ground.
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High commissioner, UK MPs and ministers speak
India's high commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, thanked the UK for its support during a time of “profound grief and abiding shock”.
“This tragedy brought home to all of us the suddenness with which life could be extinguished,” Doraiswami said. “Apart from a sense of shock and disbelief, we grieve for the 271 lives lost and the many, many more families and friends they leave behind. So many lives that have been deeply and irrevocably affected that it is hard to imagine how anything we may say or do can offer comfort.”
The event, titled 'In Everlasting Memory', took place as the UK Parliament held a debate on the crash. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer updated MPs on support being provided to British nationals affected by the crash.
“With an Indian diaspora about 2 million strong here in Britain, and with a particularly prominent Gujarati community, we feel the pain of this tragedy together. It reminds us not only of the deep personal ties between our people but of the strength of our partnership with India — a partnership built on trust, shared values and mutual support in times of crisis,” Falconer said.
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He acknowledged the “pain and frustration” of families who have not yet been able to bury their loved ones. “The Indian authorities are working around the clock, with UK support, on this. Unfortunately, these processes take time, but it is important that they are done properly to avoid causing more pain for families,” Falconer said.
Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel referred to reports that some British families felt there was a lack of UK leadership and medical teams present in India. “Last Thursday was a dark, sad and traumatic day for India, the UK and all those affected, wherever they are in the world. I am sure that I speak for the whole House when I say that we stand with them in seeking answers; in working to give them the support that they need; and in mourning the sad deaths of their loved ones,” said Patel.
Falconer said Foreign Office teams “will learn lessons with each step” and had sent officials to Gujarat to support British nationals through hospitals and other local processes. “The family liaison officers and the consular staff on the ground are trying to stand with British nationals during some of their darkest moments, and their work is very hard,” he said.
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The minister also confirmed that the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau had accepted the UK’s offer of help and a team of British inspectors was now present at the crash site. “I will not comment too much on the ongoing investigation. It will be a complex operation, but I know that our Air Accidents Investigation Branch is among the best in the world and will do everything it can,” Falconer added.
APPG for India issues statement from Westminster
In a separate statement from Westminster, the UK Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for India also expressed condolences over the Air India Flight AI171 crash. The flight, which went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, was bound for London Gatwick.
The APPG said it was “profoundly saddened by the loss of life and the impact this has had on families in both India and the UK.” The group added: “Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, as well as those still awaiting news in the wake of this devastating event.”
The statement was signed by co-chairs Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL and Jeevun Sandher MP, along with APPG president Baroness Verma. “The APPG for India stands in solidarity with all those affected. We are committed to ensuring that assistance is timely, compassionate, and effective,” they said.
(With input from agencies)
