Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242 on board crashes in Ahmedabad | What we know so far

1. Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242 on board crashes in Ahmedabad | What we know so far

Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242 on board crashes in Ahmedabad | What we know so far ByHT News Desk Jun 12, 2025 07:20 PM IST Read this news in brief form Share Via Copy Link Air India plane crash: Air India's flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad minutes after taking off.

Air India plane crash: A London-bound flight of Air India crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. 

Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)(AP)

The airline said flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad five minutes after taking off at 1:38pm local time. Follow LIVE updates.

According to Air India, the Boeing aircraft had 242 passengers and crew members. Of the total passengers onboard, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals.

Also Read | Moments leading up to Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad: A blow-by-blow account

“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” the airlines said in a post on X. “Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”

Also Read | Passenger on seat 11A survived Air India crash, says trouble started 30 seconds into flight

According to Flightradar24, the Air India flight lost signal at 08:08 UTC (13:38 IST), less than a minute after takeoff, at an altitude of just 625 feet. “The aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute,” Flightradar24 said. The plane, headed for Gatwick Airport, then crashed in a residential area near the airport. A portion of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner hit the BJ Medical College hostel, where scores of students were having lunch at the mess. A resident doctor said a large number of students and mess staff were injured. “Those who have been injured have suffered both burns and other serious injuries,” the doctor said.  Authorities did not immediately provide any confirmation about the damage or casualties.

Also Read | Ahmedabad plane crash: Pilots onboard Air India flight had 9,300 hours of flying experience

Dramatic visuals shared on social media showed massive plumes of black smoke rising near the Ahmedabad airport. Prime Minister said that the accident is "heartbreaking beyond words". "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," he wrote on X. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the scenes emerging from Ahmedabad are devastating, while the country's King Charles also expressed shock. "My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning," the monarch said. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal had 8,200 hours of flying experience, and the co-pilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience. It is the first such crash in India since 2020 when an Air India Express plane overshot a tabletop runway at Kerala’s Kozhikode, skidded off the runway, plunged into a valley nose-first, leaving 21 passengers dead.