An Air India flight en route to London with 242 people on board crashed just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, plunging into a residential neighborhood and sparking a massive rescue operation. Casualty figures remain unconfirmed, though fatalities are feared.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, departed Runway 23 at 1:39 p.m. local time. According to Reuters, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after issuing a distress call and crashed into Meghani Nagar, a densely populated area, within five minutes of departure.
Eyewitnesses described thick black smoke billowing from the crash site, as emergency teams struggled to contain the blaze. Footage aired by local television showed scenes of charred wreckage and firefighters battling flames amid mangled debris.
“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025,” Air India confirmed in a statement quoted by Hindustan Times.
The airline reported that 232 passengers and 12 crew members were aboard the ill-fated flight. Among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, told The Associated Press: “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.”
Flight records indicate the plane was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. A MAYDAY call was transmitted shortly after takeoff, but no further communication was received.
London Gatwick Airport confirmed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu expressed his grief and pledged swift action. “Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad,” he wrote on X. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran also conveyed condolences. “Our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.”
The airline has activated an emergency response centre and deployed support teams to assist the families of passengers and crew. Rescue operations continue at the crash site, involving fire services, police, and national disaster response teams.
This tragedy marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft’s global launch in 2009. More than 1,000 of the aircraft have been delivered worldwide, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
