Ahmedabad: A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing an undetermined number of people, authorities confirmed.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, destined for Gatwick Airport, went down in a civilian area near the airport just minutes after departure. India’s federal health minister reported “many fatalities,” though official casualty figures were still being verified.
According to officials, the aircraft struck a building that housed a doctors' hostel. Emergency responders have cleared most of the area, with rescue operations continuing amid wreckage and fire.
The passenger manifest included 217 adults and 11 children. Of those on board, 169 were Indian citizens, 53 were from the UK, seven from Portugal, and one from Canada.
Shortly after its 1:39 p.m. local time departure from runway 23, the flight issued a distress “Mayday” signal before losing contact, air traffic control confirmed. The last signal from the aircraft was received within seconds of takeoff, said aviation tracking platform Flightradar24.
Television footage showed the aircraft engulfed in flames with thick smoke rising from a densely populated area. Videos aired by local news channels captured chaos on the ground, with ambulances rushing the injured to nearby hospitals and rescue teams sifting through debris.
Air India confirmed the aircraft’s registration as VT-ANB and said updates would follow once more details were available. "We are focused on ensuring all necessary medical and emergency assistance," the airline posted on social media platform X.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing acknowledged reports of the crash and said it was collecting more information. The incident sent Boeing shares tumbling nearly 7% in pre-market trading.
Britain's Foreign Office said it was urgently working with Indian officials to gather information and assist those affected by the tragedy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to coordinate full-scale rescue and relief operations. Ahmedabad airport, operated by the Adani Group, has suspended all flight activity until further notice.
Gautam Adani, chairman of the group, expressed condolences, saying, “We are deeply shocked by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171. Our thoughts are with the families facing this profound loss.”
This is India’s deadliest aviation incident since 2020, when an Air India Express plane skidded off the runway in Kozhikode, killing 21 people.
Air India, formerly government-owned, was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 and recently merged with Vistara, its joint venture with Singapore Airlines, in 2024. Tata confirmed the activation of an emergency response center and said a support team is working to assist affected families.
