One of the worst aviation disasters has occurred in India.
Air India Flight AI171, on a London Gatwick-bound flight departed Ahmedabad has crashed shortly after takeoff — leaving trails of dark black smoke and a shocked global aviation fraternity.
Indian authorities said the jet was travelling with 242 people on board- 232 passengers and 12 crew members. The airline said that there were 53 British nationals on board the Air India flight at the time of the crash.
The plane crashed in a residential area that is very densely populated called Meghani Nagar, outside Ahmedabad Airport in the state of Gujarat, Indian Civil Aviation Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai told the Associated Press.
Flight tracking service Flightradar24 and Sky News reported that the jet lost contact seconds after taking off. According to Sky News, the tragic event happened at about 1:38 p.m. local time. In a few minutes, the emergency services arrived at the scene because large columns of smoke identified the area of the crash.
A vast serpentine track of smoke
Posts on social media contain shocking photos and videos of the debris all over the buildings, parts of the plane fuselage and tail can be seen among the wreckage.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also reacted quickly as he stated: I am personally overseeing the situation and have asked all aviation and emergency response agencies to act swiftly and in a coordinated manner. Rescue services have been deployed and everything is being done to see that medical assistance and relief services are being hurried to the scene. I am thinking and praying about everyone on board and their families.”
Videos doing rounds on social media purport to be of Air India plane crash.
Gatwick-bound plane crashes in India with 242 on board
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 12, 2025
Follow the latest ⬇️https://t.co/P2crOfS2Ul pic.twitter.com/KGJkxDBpY5
Air India chairman N. Chandrasekaran made the following grim statement:
It is with deep regret that I am confirming that Air India flight, AI171 having Ahmedabad London Gatwick has been involved in a tragic accident today. We are thinking of and send our most heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of everyone that was affected by this tragic event. Our prominent concern at the present time is trying to take care of all the affected individuals as well as their families.
We are trying our level best to help the emergency response teams on the site and to ensure that we are giving all possible help and care to the affected. We will continue to provide updates as we continue to get verified information. Support teams have been established to support families and an emergency centre has been activated.”
A Boeing 787
The Gatwick Airport also confirmed that flight AI171 was scheduled to land at 6:25 p.m. local time in the UK but admitted that the crash happened during the departure procedure in India.
Daily Mail quoted aviation expert Julian Bray as saying:
It is a Boeing Dreamliner that has crashed–not sure yet that they have been able to get anyone off the aircraft. And in case it has really crash-landed and they can get the chutes out–then they can get people out in 90 seconds. I know that fire appliances are on scene- this is a big incident. It is so unfortunate that it is a Dreamliner because it is a top-of-the-range Boeing. Security issues are not unlikely. All guess-work on my part, however.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, despite the fact that weather conditions were said to be clear and there were light winds during the time of the crash. There are no officially confirmed deaths yet, however, the extent of the destruction in the initial images indicates that the number of deaths may be high.
The accident is one more tragedy in a series of mishaps involving Boeing jets over the last few years. In 2018 and 2019, respectively, 189 and 157 lives were lost in Lion Air flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines crashes that took place in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
X: Air India made a short announcement:
flight AI171 Ahmedabad-London Gatwick had an incident today 12 June 2025. We are currently determining the facts and will provide more information as soon as possible.”
