Old Video of Overheated Passenger Misrepresented as Air India Crash Footage

A viral video showing airline passengers enduring sweltering heat has been falsely linked to the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad, fact-checks have confirmed.

The clip, which has garnered over 400,000 views on Facebook, shows visibly uncomfortable passengers fanning themselves and complaining about a malfunctioning air conditioner. Bold text on the video claims it was recorded “just before the crash” of a London-bound Air India flight on June 12, 2025.

However, AFP has verified that the footage is from a 2024 flight on Air India Express, a separate low-cost subsidiary of Air India. The influencer who recorded the video confirmed it was shot during a flight to Dubai, not on the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad.

“That video has nothing to do with the recent crash,” the influencer told AFP. “It was a completely different flight, recorded last year.”

The false claims spread rapidly on social media platforms, including Facebook and X, with users mistakenly suggesting the video depicted conditions moments before the crash.

The June 12 crash killed at least 279 people, including 24 residents on the ground, after the aircraft went down between a hospital and a densely populated neighborhood in Ghoda Camp, Ahmedabad. One passenger miraculously survived.

Though the clip does show the Air India Express logo and passengers refer to the airline by name, many viewers still believed it was tied to the tragedy. Fact-checkers continue to urge the public to verify content before sharing during breaking news events.