A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing several people and leaving many others injured, according to officials. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was en route to Gatwick Airport in the UK when it went down near the airport in a densely populated civilian area.
India’s Union Health Minister confirmed that “many people” were killed in the incident. The plane crashed into a residential building, identified as a doctors' hostel. Emergency responders have cleared 70–80% of the crash site and rescue operations are ongoing, a senior police officer said.
Among the 242 people on board were 217 adults and 11 children. Air India said 169 passengers were Indian nationals, while others included 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. The airline confirmed the crash and stated that injured passengers were being transported to nearby hospitals.
The flight, identified as AI171, took off from Ahmedabad’s runway 23 at 1:39 p.m. local time. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot issued a "Mayday" emergency call, but air traffic control received no further communication. Seconds later, the aircraft disappeared from radar, according to tracking data from Flightradar24.
Television footage showed a massive fireball rising above residential buildings and thick black smoke engulfing the crash site. Debris was seen scattered across the area as emergency workers rushed victims on stretchers to ambulances.
Boeing confirmed it was aware of the incident and is working to gather more details. Shares of Boeing fell 6.8% in pre-market trading following the news.
The UK Foreign Office stated it was urgently coordinating with Indian authorities to ascertain facts and support affected individuals. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose home state is Gujarat, directed the aviation ministry to ensure immediate support to rescue efforts. All flights from Ahmedabad Airport have been suspended, according to officials.
Adani Group, which operates the airport, expressed deep sorrow over the incident. "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,” said Gautam Adani, the conglomerate’s chairman. “We are working closely with authorities and extending full support to affected families.”
This is the deadliest plane crash in India since 2020, when an Air India Express flight overshot a runway in Kozhikode, killing 21 people.
Air India, formerly a state-owned carrier, was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and merged with Vistara in 2024. Tata has activated an emergency response centre and is providing support to passengers' families.
BOB Post
