New Delhi: Boeing suffered a bloodbath, falling by nearly eight percent in pre-market trading on NASDAQ, the US stock exchange, Thursday, after an Air India-operated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight crashed seconds after its take-off from Ahmedabad.
At the time of writing the report, Boeing shares had fallen to $196.96, down by 7.96 percent. Markets are to open again at 9 am ET, or 6.30 pm IST roughly.
The shares of key Boeing partner GE Aerospace had dropped by 4.7 percent in pre-market trading during the filing of this report. Its GEnx engines had powered the now-destroyed Air India Flight AI-171.
After the deadly crash, GE Aerospace released a statement on social media platform X. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Air India Flight AI-171. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those impacted. We have activated our emergency response team, and we are prepared to support our customer and the investigation.”
The Boeing plane that crashed had taken off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm and was bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, carrying 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and two pilots.
The exact reason for the crash is still not clear.
The crash occurred in Meghaninagar, a highly populated region near the international airport in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. Following the crash, eyewitnesses reported a big fire and dense black smoke.
The plane reportedly made a mayday call shortly after leaving runway 23 but then lost communication with air traffic control.
The civil aviation ministry has said the airport would be available for flight operations from 16.05 IST onwards. Flight operations had earlier been suspended until further notice.
In a post on X, Gautam Adani expressed dismay at the crash, saying the company had been working closely with the authorities and providing full support to families. His Adani Group manages the Ahmedabad airport.
Indian airlines, including Indigo, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, have also issued statements of mourning after the incident.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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