AN Air India passenger plane bound for London with 244 people onboard crashed Thursday in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad, the airline and local media reported.
AP reported that visuals on local television channels showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of more than 5 million.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time.
There were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard the flight, which had been bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, Kidwai said.
Gatwick posted on X that it could confirm the flight, which had been due to arrive at 6:25 p.m. in London, had crashed on departure.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site.
“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he said.
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website.
Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said at the moment “our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.”
He said on X that the airline had set up an emergency center and support team for families seeking information about those who were on the flight.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said.
In a latest development, a statement from India's aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) cited the flight "crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad".
BBC News reported that the statement cited: “A passenger aircraft carrying 242 people, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, prompting the suspension of all flight operations and a full-scale emergency response.
“Authorities confirmed the aircraft departed from runway 23 at 13:39 IST. It issued a mayday call to air traffic control moments after take-off, but no further communication was received before it crashed just beyond the airport perimeter.”
Initial reports had incorrectly stated that 244 individuals were on board.
The captain had 8,200 hours of flying experience, while the co-pilot had logged 1,100 hours. The aircraft’s type and airline operator have not been officially disclosed.
“All flight operations are suspended until further notice,” said a spokesperson for the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, confirming that the airport is currently not operational as emergency services remain at the scene.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said he had directed authorities to launch “immediate rescue and relief operations” and instructed them to respond on a “war footing”.
“I have also instructed officials to arrange a green corridor to transport the injured passengers for treatment and to ensure all necessary medical arrangements are made at the hospital on priority,” he stated on social media platform X.
Details on casualties and survivors are still emerging as emergency services work through the wreckage. - June 12, 2025
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