South Asia

Air India flight to London crashes near Ahmedabad, 242 aboard

An Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday in a densely populated neighborhood near Ahmedabad airport in the western Indian state of Gujarat, officials said.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, was carrying 242 people, including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew, when it went down in the Meghani Nagar area near the airport. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kunder, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed.

Footage from the crash site posted on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage, and residents rushing to assist with rescue efforts before emergency services arrived.

The extent of casualties remains unclear. Air India confirmed the incident in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. Our teams are assessing the situation.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had spoken with Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state’s Home Minister and the Police Commissioner, and assured that the central government would extend its full support. Patel traveled to Ahmedabad from Surat to oversee the response.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the crash, and an investigation is expected to be launched by the DGCA and other aviation bodies.

Air India and Indian aviation officials have faced mounting scrutiny in recent years over safety and infrastructure concerns amid the country’s rapidly growing demand for air travel. Thursday’s crash marks one of the gravest air disasters in India in recent years.