An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick Airport, with 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
The crash occurred less than a minute after Air India flight AI-171 had taken off from Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat. At least 133 people have been killed, local media report.
Eye-witness video captured the moment the 11-year-old plane suddenly plummeted to the ground on the outskirts of the airport after climbing to just 625 feet. A huge fireball and plumes of thick black smoke then filled the sky.
It is understood that the aircraft crashed into a building on the outskirts of the airport. Some media reports claim the building was a residential block for medical staff.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Air India said: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025.”
The airline added: “The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft.”
“Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. 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. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”
Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson has also released this video statement:
Some of the horrific visuals shared on social media showed the moment the plane crashed:
And the moments after the crash:
In a post on X, Popular flight tracking website Flight Radar 24, provided information about the airplane’s altitude at the time of the incident:
India’s civil aviation regulator said in a statement that the pilots had made a mayday call shortly after takeoff, but air traffic control was unable to get any further response from the crew.
The captain was a veteran aviator with 8,200 hours flying experience, while the First Officer had clocked 1,100 flying hours.
In a statement, London Gatwick Airport said on X: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
The airport says it is “liaising closely with Air India, and a reception center for relatives of those onboard is being set up where information and support will be provided.”
“Our thoughts are with family and friends of those onboard,” a spokesperson for the airport continued.
The British High Commission in New Delhi has provided a UK telephone number for relatives to call, saying it was working with local authorities to “establish facts.”
The embassy said in a statement: “We are aware of a plane crash in Ahmedabad. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved. British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call 020 7008 5000.”
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is yet to comment on the incident.
Details of how many passengers and crew were injured, including potential fatalities, are yet to be confirmed.
More to follow.
