AHMEDABAD, INDIA – June 12, 2025 – An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed today shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India. All 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, are feared to have perished in the catastrophic incident.
The aircraft departed Ahmedabad at approximately 1:38 PM local time and lost contact with air traffic control just five minutes later. Pilots reportedly issued a “Mayday” distress call before communications ceased. Flight tracking data indicates the Dreamliner reached a maximum altitude of 625 feet (190 meters) before its rapid descent.
The plane plummeted into Meghani Nagar, a densely populated residential area situated approximately 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) from the airport. Initial reports confirm the aircraft struck a doctors’ hostel within the area. Emergency services, including multiple fire engines and rescue teams, immediately rushed to the crash site where thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
Air India confirmed the incident, stating the flight carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik stated that there appeared to be no survivors from the plane, and casualties among local residents on the ground are also expected.
As of late afternoon, at least 204 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage and surrounding impact zone, though it is not yet confirmed if all were from the aircraft.
Forty-one individuals on the ground have been reported injured and transported to local hospitals, with some 50 to 60 medical students from the affected hostel among them.
Following the crash, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad was immediately closed, and all flight operations were suspended indefinitely.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sorrow, stating the tragedy was “heartbreaking beyond words.” Similar condolences were conveyed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the 787-8 Dreamliner, released a statement extending its thoughts to those affected and confirmed it was in contact with Air India regarding the incident. This marks the first such catastrophic incident involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Authorities have initiated a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crash.
