Air India Flight Crashes After Takeoff, Over 200 Dead in Ahmedabad/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A London-bound Air India Boeing 787 crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing over 200. The aircraft slammed into a residential building near a medical college hostel, with no known survivors. This is the first fatal crash involving a 787 Dreamliner and India’s deadliest air disaster in a decade.
Air India Flight Disaster in Ahmedabad – Quick Looks
- Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport.
- At least 204 people confirmed dead, according to Ahmedabad police.
- Plane struck a medical college hostel, reportedly killing students and ground personnel.
- All 242 people on board presumed dead, including 53 Britons and 7 Portuguese nationals.
- First fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model in service since 2011.
- Eyewitness videos show fire and smoke, with debris scattered around the crash zone.
- Aircraft gave a Mayday signal, then lost contact with air traffic control.
- UK and India leaders react with grief, including PM Modi and King Charles.
- Flight path suggests possible mechanical failure, as landing gear remained deployed.
- Air India now owned by Tata Group, which merged the airline with Vistara in 2024.
Deep Look: Air India Flight AI171 Crash Kills Over 200 in Ahmedabad
AHMEDABAD, India – June 12, 2025 — In what has become the deadliest air disaster in India in more than a decade, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff, killing at least 204 people. The plane, operating as Flight AI171, was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport with 242 people aboard, including crew.
The aircraft took off at 1:39 p.m. local time from runway 23 at Ahmedabad Airport and issued a Mayday distress signal moments later. Seconds after the transmission, contact was lost. The plane then slammed into the hostel complex of B.J. Medical College, a government-run institution near the airport, with the tail of the aircraft visibly embedded in the building’s roof.
Catastrophe in Modi’s Home State
The crash has sent shockwaves throughout India, especially in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words.” Rescue teams, including the Central Industrial Security Force, fire crews, and emergency responders, scrambled to search for bodies among the wreckage.
No Survivors Expected
According to city police chief G.S. Malik, “204 bodies have been recovered,” with no survivors confirmed. The death toll is likely to include hostel residents and medical students, as the plane struck during the lunch hour. One survivor from the hostel, a student named Ramila’s son, managed to jump from a second-floor window and sustained injuries.
Passenger Nationalities and Victims
A breakdown of nationalities on board included:
- 169 Indians
- 53 Britons
- 7 Portuguese
- 1 Canadian
- 11 children and 2 infants
Family members are being asked to submit DNA samples for identification due to the extent of fire damage to the remains.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s First Fatal Crash
This incident marks the first-ever fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, an aircraft that first entered commercial service in 2011. The specific aircraft involved was delivered to Air India in January 2014, and had previously flown without major incident.
Aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse noted unusual early footage, suggesting that the landing gear was still down, raising speculation of a mechanical failure or aborted climb-out.
“If you didn’t know what was happening, you would think that plane was preparing to land,” he said.
Reaction from Governments and Boeing
The British government issued a statement confirming its coordination with Indian authorities, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the event “devastating.” King Charles also expressed sorrow, saying he and the Queen were “desperately shocked.”
Boeing shares fell 6.8% in pre-market trading, while the company issued a statement saying it was “working to gather more information.” GE Aerospace, the engine manufacturer, is assembling a team to analyze the aircraft’s black box data and cockpit recordings.
Past Crashes and Air India Ownership
This is India’s worst plane crash since 1996, when a mid-air collision claimed 349 lives. The last fatal Air India incident occurred in 2020, when an Air India Express Boeing 737 overshot a runway in Kozhikode, killing 21.
Air India was privatized in 2022, acquired by Tata Group, and later merged with Vistara, Singapore Airlines’ joint venture with Tata, in 2024.
Aviation and Airport Response
Ahmedabad Airport temporarily suspended operations following the crash but later resumed limited flights. The airport is managed by Adani Group, whose chairman Gautam Adani said his company was providing “full support to families on the ground.”
The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry is leading the investigation, under direct instruction from Prime Minister Modi. Global aviation experts are closely monitoring the fallout, especially given the aircraft’s model and the scale of fatalities.
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