Passengers traveling through London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday expressed fear and anxiety over their safety in the wake of the Air India crash that claimed at least 260 lives.
"It's absolutely terrible. There were so many people inside" the aeroplane, said Olivia Paulin, 27, a researcher who had just checked in for a short flight to Scotland.
"You always think it happens to other people only."
The mood was sombre at the airport, south of the U.K. capital, as many people arrived off long flights to the news that an Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 had crashed just after take-off from the northwest Indian city of Ahmedabad.
There were 242 people on board the flight, which was bound for Gatwick, including 53 U.K. nationals.
Incredibly, one man survived the crash. He was named in reports as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, from Leicester in central England.
Gatwick opened a support center for any family and friends gathering at the airport in search of news of the flight, which had been due to arrive at 6:25 p.m. (1725 GMT) on Thursday.
By the end of the morning, dozens of journalists from the world's media had arrived at the airport, setting up in the northern terminal and keeping well away from the Air India counter.
It was deserted and a flight to Goa, which had been due to leave later on Thursday, was canceled.
"It's so sad," said Eddy, 63, travelling back from Croatia and watching a video of the crash which came on a breaking news alert on his mobile phone as he walked through arrivals.
"We were flying on a similar plane. I feel safe when I fly, but it could be us. So sad. All of them lost their lives."
Many people hurrying through the airport did not want to comment on the tragedy.
A young British woman in her 20s had checked in for her flight to Türkiye, but told Agence France-Presse (AFP): "I don't want to talk about it. I am a nervous flyer. I have seen it, but I don't want to talk about it."
"It's very scary. Above all, because it's a very well-known airline with planes you presume they are very safe," Paulin told AFP.
"It makes me more nervous for travelling. You can't control this feeling."
"It was scary seeing it in the news, especially before going to Gatwick airport."
