Ahmedabad Plane Crash: London-Bound Air India Flight Crashes Shortly After Takeoff, Casualties Feared
A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people, including passengers and crew, crashed into a residential area of Meghani Nagar shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport at 1:38 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2025. Several casualties are feared as the aircraft went down minutes after departure.
The ill-fated flight, Air India AI-171, was operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and had 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The flight was commanded by Captain Sumit Sabharwal with co-pilot Clive Kunder assisting.
Of the 242 individuals on board, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, 7 were Portuguese, and 1 was Canadian.
According to information from the Police Control Room, the aircraft issued a ‘MAYDAY’ distress call to Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly after takeoff, but no further communication was received. The plane crashed just outside the airport perimeter after departing from Runway 23, and thick black smoke was seen billowing from the crash site, according to sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Air India confirmed the incident, stating: “Flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. We are currently gathering more details and will provide updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and our X handle.”
