A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed into a residential neighbourhood minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, killing over 30 and sparking a massive emergency response. It is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent years.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off at 1:38 pm local time en route to London Gatwick but lost altitude rapidly shortly after departure. Air traffic control confirmed that the pilot issued a distress call before the aircraft disappeared from radar. The jet came down in the densely populated Meghani Nagar area, a few kilometres from the airport, engulfing parts of the neighbourhood in flames and thick black smoke.
Emergency services raced to the scene, with firefighters, ambulances, and disaster response teams working into the evening to search for survivors and contain the blaze. The crash site included residential buildings and a hostel used by medical students, many of whom were caught in the blast or buried under rubble.
Local authorities reported recovering more than 30 bodies from the wreckage. Dozens more are believed to be trapped or missing. Hospitals across Ahmedabad have admitted scores of injured victims, many of them in critical condition. A full list of casualties has not yet been confirmed.
Air India’s Boeing 787-8 struggles to gain altitude shortly after departing Ahmedabad bound for London. It seems to stall and crashes into a residential area. The plane, a Boeing 788 was never involved in a fatal crash until today. pic.twitter.com/ppnLTpirQu
— Josh Cahill (@gotravelyourway) June 12, 2025
The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a formal investigation, assisted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India officials. The airline confirmed that 230 passengers and 12 crew members were on board, including nationals from four countries:
- 169 Indian citizens
- 53 British citizens
- 7 Portuguese citizens
- 1 Canadian citizen
The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.
Air India, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident involving flight AI171. Our thoughts are with the families of those affected. We are coordinating with local authorities and providing all necessary support.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the incident “deeply heartbreaking.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been briefed, and the UK Foreign Office is working with Indian officials to provide assistance to British nationals involved in the crash.
The aircraft involved, registration VT-ANB, was one of the earliest Dreamliners delivered to Air India in 2012. Aviation experts have noted previous technical issues linked to the Boeing 787-8 model, though it remains one of the most widely used long-haul aircraft. Thursday’s crash marks the first total hull loss of a 787 Dreamliner.
According to preliminary flight data, the plane failed to climb beyond 825 feet before entering a rapid descent. Investigators are examining flight recorders recovered from the wreckage, along with maintenance logs and crew reports. Both the pilot and co-pilot had extensive flight experience, Air India confirmed.
We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take off.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 12, 2025
The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB… pic.twitter.com/EmKKISJldF
Local eyewitnesses described scenes of horror and panic. “We saw the plane wobbling in the sky and then a huge explosion,” said Rakesh Patel, a resident near the crash site. “There was fire everywhere. People were screaming and running.”
Ahmedabad Airport suspended all operations for several hours, and flights were diverted to nearby airports. Full services have since resumed.
International aviation bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Boeing, are expected to assist in the investigation. Boeing released a short statement acknowledging the crash and pledging cooperation.
NEW: An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just after takeoff, reaching an altitude of 625 feet (200 feet above the ground) before descending ~425 feet and crashing into a doctors’ hostel.
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) June 12, 2025
The plane was carrying 242 passengers and 12 flight crew:
169 Indian nationals… pic.twitter.com/v2oRDlnNMr
The tragedy has cast a shadow over India’s aviation sector, which has seen rapid growth in recent years. The last major air disaster in the country occurred in 2020, when an Air India Express flight crashed in Kozhikode, killing 21 people.
More details are expected as the investigation unfolds and authorities work to determine the cause of the crash. In the meantime, a city and a nation mourn, while families across several continents await news of their loved ones.
