В авиакатастрофе самолета Air India пострадали 169 индийцев, 53 британца, 1 канадец и 7 португальцев.

AHMEDABAD- An Air India (AI) plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12, 2025, involving multiple nationalities, including 169 Indians, 53 British, 1 Canadian, and 7 Portuguese passengers.

Air India (AI) Flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW), crashed in the Meghani Nagar residential area shortly after takeoff at 13:39 IST, with rescue operations currently underway as emergency teams respond to the incident.

Photo: By lasta29 – Air India, B787-8 Dreamliner, VT-ANR, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40687689

Air India Plane Crash: 242 People Onboard

Flight AI171 was a scheduled flight from Ahmedabad (AMD) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) operating on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with registration VT-ANB. The flight departed from runway 23 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:39 IST and was scheduled to arrive at London Gatwick at 18:25 local time.

According to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft carried 242 people, comprising 232 passengers and 10 cabin crew members, along with two pilots.

The captain possessed 8,200 hours of flying experience while the co-pilot had accumulated 1,100 hours.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicates the last signal was received at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after takeoff at an altitude of 625 feet.

The aircraft issued a mayday call to air traffic control before losing contact completely. The flight crashed during takeoff in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad, near the airport perimeter, resulting in a large fire that emergency responders are working to extinguish.

A senior Ahmedabad police official informed ANI that the aircraft crashed into a doctors’ hostel. Emergency teams, including police, firefighters, and civic personnel, responded within minutes, and rescue efforts remain ongoing.

Photo: Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Emergency Response and Official Statements

India’s Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu expressed being “shocked and devastated” by the incident, stating authorities are on “highest alert” with rescue teams mobilized for coordinated emergency response. Medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the crash site as officials work to transport injured passengers to nearby hospitals.

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed the tragic accident in an official statement, extending condolences to affected families.

The airline has established a dedicated passenger hotline at 1800 5691 444 for information and activated an emergency center with support teams for families seeking updates.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed officials to conduct immediate rescue operations on a “war footing” basis, arranging green corridor transport for injured passengers and ensuring priority medical arrangements at hospitals. All flight operations at Ahmedabad International Airport remain suspended until further notice.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed deep concern following the crash of an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick, which went down in Ahmedabad. He extended his thoughts to the passengers and their families, calling the incident devastating, particularly as the flight was carrying many British nationals.

In a statement, Starmer said he is receiving regular updates as the situation unfolds and acknowledged the distress the tragedy is causing to everyone involved.

Photo: Bhavya Velani/Aviation A2Z

International Coordination and Investigation

The UK Foreign Office has confirmed collaboration with Indian authorities to establish facts and provide support to those involved in the incident. London Gatwick Airport acknowledged the scheduled arrival time of 18:25 UK time for the crashed flight.

This incident marks the first fatal crash involving a 787 Dreamliner, with both DGCA and Boeing launching investigations to determine the cause. The aircraft’s service history shows regular operations between India and international destinations including Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne.

Social media footage shows black smoke billowing from the residential crash site, with local volunteers joining professional rescue teams in relief efforts. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft has a total seating capacity of 256 passengers, though exact occupancy numbers are still being verified by authorities.

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