An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed during takeoff at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, 12 June 2025. The aircraft went down in a residential area near the airport, according to Indian media and aviation sources.
The aircraft, registered VT-ANB, departed at 1:39 pm local time (0809 GMT) from runway 23. Air traffic control confirmed the flight issued a “Mayday” call shortly after liftoff before all communication ceased. Flightradar24 reported receiving the final signal from the aircraft seconds after takeoff.
Local media reports state that 242 people were on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian citizen, and seven Portuguese nationals. Eleven children were also on board. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was reportedly among the passengers.
According to Indian police, the aircraft crashed into a building housing a doctors’ hostel. Emergency services responded immediately, moving several individuals on stretchers and transporting them by ambulance. Visuals from the site showed aircraft debris on fire and smoke rising near the crash location.
Authorities have confirmed 110 fatalities. The number of casualties may rise. Some reports also claim that Medical students living in the hostel also died.
Following the crash, operations at Ahmedabad Airport have been temporarily suspended, and all flights have been halted.
This incident is one of the most serious aviation accidents in India since the 2020 Air India Express crash in Kozhikode.
