Passenger Plane with 244 People Aboard Crashes in India Shortly After Take-off

The incident involved flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 244 people—232 passengers and 12 crew members—according to officials.

Of the 232 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, while one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were also among those traveling. A further breakdown reveals that the passengers included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants.

“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia),” a spokesperson of Air India confirmed on X.

The aircraft had departed at 1:38 p.m. local time. It was scheduled to land at London’s Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. According to data from Flight Radar, it lost signal just seconds after takeoff, having reached an altitude of 625 feet.

Before communication with the aircraft was severed, the aircraft issued a mayday alert to air traffic control. No further communication followed after the distress call.

The plane went down in a residential area called Meghani Nagar, crashing into a doctor’s hostel, only five minutes into the flight. The densely populated neighborhood lies near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, a city of over 5 million residents.

Visuals aired on local news channels showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Weather conditions were reported to be calm and clear at the time of the crash, according to flight safety expert Marco Chan. Aviation forecasts indicated light surface winds and visibility of around six kilometres, with no severe weather, storms, or wind shear present that could have impacted the flight.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, confirmed the location of the crash and the number of people on board.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, shared that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene, with efforts underway to provide immediate medical assistance and necessary relief to those affected.

“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he noted. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”

Operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended, with the airport remaining closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, local politician Darshna Vaghela told reporters that several doctors’ flats in the area were damaged in the crash. He said he was nearby at the time and helped rescue many of the residents from their homes. A senior police also chimed in, “We have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon.”

According to local media reports, the aircraft came down on the dining hall of the government-run B.J. Medical College hostel, reportedly claiming the lives of several medical students.

Footage aired showed part of the plane lodged on top of the building. Rescue teams at the scene indicated they had recovered between 30 and 35 bodies so far, with others feared to be still trapped under the debris.

A parent, Ramila, shared that her son had just entered the doctors’ hostel for a lunch break when the plane crashed. He jumped from the second floor and was injured, but is now safe.

Anxious relatives gathered outside hospitals in Ahmedabad as they await news of loved ones have also spoken out. Among them was Poonam Patel was said his sister-in-law had been on the London-bound flight. “Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here,” he said.

Records show the crashed aircraft frequently operates routes between India and cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. This marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787-8, a significant moment for the aircraft that has maintained a strong safety record since its launch 14 years ago.

Known as the Dreamliner, it is one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. The model recently celebrated a major milestone, having transported over a billion passengers across nearly five million flights. The global fleet of more than 1,175 Dreamliners has accumulated over 30 million flight hours.

The incident is a serious setback for Boeing, which has already been under pressure due to ongoing issues with its 737 aircraft line. It also presents a fresh challenge for CEO Kelly Ortberg, who is nearing his one-year mark at the helm and was appointed to help steer the company through mounting concerns about its operations and reliability.

The last deadly aviation accident in India occurred in 2020, resulting in 21 deaths. The total number of fatalities in this crash has yet to be confirmed. Back then, an Air India Express flight, part of the airline’s budget division, overshot a tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport in the south.

The Boeing 737 skidded, plunged into a valley, and crashed nose-first. Since then, Air India has undergone significant changes. Once state-run, the airline was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and later merged with Vistara—its joint venture with Singapore Airlines—in 2024.