The Air India plane crash Ahmedabad has shocked both India and the UK after flight AI171, en route to London Gatwick, crashed moments after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was carrying 242 passengers and crew when it went down in a residential area of the city.
Air India said the plane took off at 13:39 local time and was due to land in London at 18:25 BST. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported the plane lost signal less than a minute after take-off. It climbed to only 625 feet before issuing a mayday call. Authorities received no further communication. Seconds later, the aircraft crashed into Meghani Nagar, striking a doctors’ hostel and causing a large explosion.
Eyewitnesses captured footage showing thick black smoke rising from the crash site. BBC correspondent Roxy Gagdekar described chaotic scenes, with people running toward the wreckage to help. Emergency workers arrived quickly. They began putting out the fire and carrying injured victims to nearby hospitals. Multiple bodies were seen, although officials have not yet released casualty numbers.
Onboard were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and a full crew. The plane had 256 seats and was nearly full. Gujarat’s chief minister ordered immediate rescue operations and called for support services on an emergency basis. Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said the airline activated an emergency center and deployed a support team to assist affected families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash heartbreaking and said he was in constant contact with rescue coordinators. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the images from Ahmedabad as devastating. He said the UK government is monitoring the situation closely. Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that British consular staff are working with Indian authorities to identify victims and assist survivors.
King Charles III is also receiving regular updates on the situation, Buckingham Palace confirmed. The Air India plane crash Ahmedabad has already triggered concern about aviation safety in India. All flights in and out of Ahmedabad have been suspended while investigators begin analyzing the cause of the crash.
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