A tragic aviation disaster struck the nation on Thursday afternoon as Air India Flight AI171, headed to London’s Gatwick airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, triggering massive rescue efforts. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), was carrying 242 people, including passengers and crew.
The crash occurred in Meghani Nagar, just outside the airport perimeter, shortly after the aircraft took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST. According to authorities, the plane issued a mayday call moments after takeoff but lost communication with Air Traffic Control soon after.
DGCA statement: Pilots, passengers, and timeline
India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), confirmed the following details in its preliminary report:
- Aircraft Type: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Registration: VT-ANB
- Flight Number: AI-171
- Route: Ahmedabad to London Gatwick
- Crash Time: Shortly after takeoff at 13:39 IST on June 12
Details of those onboard the flight
- Total persons onboard: 242
- Passengers: 230
- Cabin crew: 10
- Pilots: 2
- Pilot: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal
- Flight hours: 8,200 hrs (Long-Term Captain)
- First Officer: Clive Kundar
- Flight hours: 1,100 hrs
Other crew members were Aparna Mahadik, Shradha Dhavan, Saineeta Chakravarti, Maithili Patil, Manisha Thapa, Roshni Rajendra Songhare, Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, Deepak Pathak and Irfan Shaikh.
The DGCA confirmed that the aircraft crashed immediately after departure, following a mayday call. Thick black smoke was observed billowing from the crash site, prompting immediate emergency response.
No official casualty count yet
While casualties are feared, authorities have yet to release an official toll. Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said efforts are on to gather full details of the crash and those injured. Several injured passengers and locals were rushed to Civil Hospital in the city. Fire officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that multiple fire engines were deployed to contain the blaze.
Air India, DGCA launch investigations
An investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the crash. Air India issued a brief statement on X, saying: “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 airindia.com and on our X handle.”
More updates are expected as rescue and forensic teams assess the crash site.
