Times of India video screenshot
An Air India plane bound for London that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday had 242 passengers and crew on board, the Directorate General of India's Civil Aviation said in a statement.
The Air India Boeing 787 aircraft "crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad" at 1339 IST (0809 UTC), the directorate said. It added that "there were 242 persons on board the aircraft, consisting of two pilots and 10 cabin crew."
"It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC (air traffic control), but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond, " the company said in a statement, adding that the aircraft "fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter."
Meanwhile, Air India confirmed that one aircraft was involved in the accident. According to "X," 169 of the passengers were Indian nationals, 53 were British Nationals, one was Canadian, and seven were from Portugal.
Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off.
— Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025
The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are…
India's aviation minister said he was "shocked and devastated" by the crash in Ahmedabad, where an AFP journalist saw thick plumes of black smoke over the airport.
Ahmedabad, the main city of India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people, and the busy airport is located in a densely packed residential area.
Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu directed "all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action."
"Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site," he added.
"My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families."
Air India confirmed the crash.
"With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad (to) London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today," Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said.
"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event," said the airline chairman.
He added that an emergency centre has been activated, and a support team has been set up for families seeking information.
India has suffered a series of fatal air crashes, including a 1996 disaster when two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people.
In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in southwest India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board.
Decades earlier, an Air India Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London in June 1985 crashed into the sea off Ireland with 329 people on board, leaving no survivors.
An Indian commission determined that militant Sikhs had planted a bomb in baggage being carried by the plane.
