Cliff Notes – Tom Fletcher apologises for ‘insensitive’ Instagram post after fatal Air India crash

Tom Fletcher apologised for an Instagram post about flying, made shortly after the fatal Air India crash, which resulted in the deaths of 241 people.
He described the post as ‘insensitive’ and deleted it upon learning of the tragedy, expressing condolences to those affected.
Fletcher is not alone in facing backlash; Mark Wright also apologised for a scheduled post coinciding with the crash, citing a ‘horrendous coincidence’.

Tom Fletcher apologises for ‘insensitive’ Instagram post after fatal Air India crash

Tom Fletcher has apologised and deleted the post (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Tom Fletcher has apologised for a post he made in the wake of the fatal Air India plane crash this week.

All but one of the 242 people on board the London-bound flight died when it crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on Thursday (June 12).

The sole survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is recovering in hospital with his brother saying he ‘has no idea how he survived’. It is not yet known how many people on the ground were killed.

The McFly frontman, 39, took to Instagram stories to apologise for a prior post in which he referred to flying a plane himself, as he has a pilot’s licence.

Follow Metro’s blog for live coverage and updates from the Air India crash

Fletcher went on to describe the initial post as ‘insensitive’ and said he had deleted it, explaining he had only seen the news of the Air India flight after the fact.

Fletcher wrote: ‘Sorry, I’ve only just seen the terrible news about the Air India crash.

Tom got his pilot’s licence in 2008 (Picture: Neil Mockford/GC Images)

Tom deleted the post once he had seen the news (Picture: Instagram)

‘So awful. Had I known earlier, I obviously wouldn’t have posted about my flight today,’ he added. Fletcher had posted about flying a plane while listening to the Foo Fighters song Learn to Fly.

Fletcher continued: ‘I understand why that must have looked insensitive and have deleted it. Thanks for letting me know.

‘My whole heart goes out to everyone involved in the crash and all their friends & families.’

Fletcher has previously said if he had not become a musician, he would have been a pilot, after got his licence back in 2008 when he was just 23-years-old.

Tom had posted about a flight he piloted (Picture: Instagram)

Fletcher is not the only star who has apologised for a mistimed Instagram post after the Air India crash, as Mark Wright did the same following a scheduled Instagram post.

Mark, 38, posted a picture of himself with his wife Michelle Keegan and their daughter posing in front of a private jet.

Writing beneath it, Mark said: ‘1 day babe, for now we’ll take row 26 with no extra leg room,’ as he complained about standard planes.

Moments later, the former Only Way is Essex reality star removed the post from his page.

He then explained in a story: ‘I apologise for a post I just put up on my page after today’s heartbreaking events.

‘I have posts from a holiday that are on the scheduled setting, which go out on future days I have set them for which was done last week. It’s a horrendous coincidence that today’s post was on such a devastating day.

‘Once I logged in to my Instagram and realised the post had gone out, I immediately deleted. My heart goes out to everyone who has been effected from today. I’m sorry for this mistake and any offence caused.’