Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242 onboard crashes after take-off

An Air India flight bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171, had 242 people onboard, including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-India's civil aviation regulator, the aircraft departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm IST from runway 23.

Soon after becoming airborne, the pilots issued a mayday call before the aircraft went silent.

It crashed outside the airport perimeter near Meghaninagar, a densely populated civilian area, sending up plumes of thick black smoke.

The DGCA confirmed that the aircraft was being operated by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a long-term captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, along with First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged around 1,100 hours.

Flames, smoke, and chaos: emergency crews battle crash aftermath

The crash site was marked by burning debris and heavy smoke, as captured in footage circulating on social media and news channels.

Emergency services were quick to respond, with multiple fire engines and ambulances dispatched to the area.

Images from the scene showed individuals being stretchered into ambulances, while flames engulfed parts of the aircraft wreckage.

Rescue operations are being led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which has deployed three teams from Gandhinagar comprising 90 personnel.

An additional three teams are being mobilised from Vadodara.

Police have confirmed that the aircraft came down in a residential area, raising concerns about potential ground casualties.

The Air India aircraft was heavily fueled for its long-haul transcontinental journey, increasing the intensity of the explosion and subsequent fire.

Officials have yet to confirm the number of injuries or fatalities.

Flight AI171 vanished from radar within seconds of take-off

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar shows the last signal from the plane was received just seconds after take-off, at a height of 625 feet.

The final transmission occurred at 10:08 am local time (Coordinated Universal Time 0808), suggesting a catastrophic failure occurred almost immediately after departure.

Gatwick Airport in London, the flight’s intended destination, confirmed in a statement that flight AI171 had been scheduled to land at 18:25 local time.

“We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today, was due to land at London Gatwick. More information to follow,” the airport said.

Air India’s revival efforts rocked by deadly crash

The crash comes at a time when Air India is undergoing a major strategic turnaround following its return to Tata Group ownership.

The airline has announced one of the world’s largest aircraft orders as it aims to revitalise its global network and tap into India’s expanding middle-class travel base.

Thursday’s crash adds to a growing list of aviation incidents globally this year, including a fatal mid-air collision in the US between a military helicopter and a civilian aircraft earlier in 2025.

The focus now turns to determining the cause of the crash and the fate of those onboard.