Was The Price Of Fuel A Factor In The Ahmedabad Plane Crash?
I am asking this question, as I know that a prudent airline, is careful where it buys the fuel for its aircraft.
I asked Google, if jet fuel is more expensive at Gatwick or in India and got this reply.
Jet fuel (Jet A-1/AVTUR) is more expensive at Gatwick Airport compared to India. At Gatwick, the price is 906.8 GBP/1000L. While in India, the price varies by location, for example, ₹97,975.72/kl in Delhi. This indicates that Jet A-1/AVTUR costs more at Gatwick than in India.
I suspect, if they can that Air India would prefer to fill up their planes in India.
Consider.
- The flight that crashed was AI 171.
- The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8.
- The Air India flight that crashed was flying direct to Gatwick Airport, which is a great circle distance of 4254.3 miles.
- Afterwards, it would fly from Gatwick Airport to Goa, which is a great circle distance of 4703.7 miles.
- Wikipedia gives the range of a Boeing 787-8 as 8410 miles.
As a former private pilot, who did many long flights, if I were Air India, I might use a strategy like this.
- Fill the plane with as much fuel, as it can carry at Ahmedabad.
- Fly to Gatwick on an efficient great circle route.
- Top up the plane, with enough fuel to fly safely to Goa, at Gatwick.
The cost of fuel would be minimised, but it would mean a heavy take-off at Ahmedabad.
The temperature at Ahmedabad yesterday was around the low thirties and as the altitude is only 53 metres, I don’t think it would have been a hot-and-high take-off.
The Anonymous Widower 
I am not sure what is your argument here.
Fact is: The airplane took off at the very last second.
In some videos dust from the end of the runway can be seen.
Do you think that this airplane already has had a problem – whatever it might have been –
BEFORE the moment of takeoff ?
Comment by Wolfgang Maresch | June 15, 2025 |
I still think, that the plane could have been overloaded. But this will come out in the enquiry.
When, I was a private pilot, I used to read all the accident reports and some were very weird.
Comment by AnonW | June 15, 2025 |
Ninety percent of the seats were occupied.
So you think that it was overloaded because of too much cargo ?
Comment by Wolfgang Maresch | June 15, 2025
“It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight
or carrying too much fuel,” said Jason Knight,
a senior lecturer in fluid mechanics
at the University of Portsmouth. “
Comment by Wolfgang Maresch | June 16, 2025 |