241 Dead In Ahmedabad Plane Crash, 1 Survived: Air India

New Delhi:

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad airport this afternoon, in one of the worst ever aviation tragedies in India. There were 232 passengers and 10 crew on the flight which was headed to London.

One person — the passenger of seat No. 11A — survived the crash, officials said.

In a post on X at 12.41 am on Friday, Air India confirmed 241 people had died. 

“Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin,” the airline said. 

Expressing its condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones, Air India said its teams are providing support and cooperating with the investigation.

UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident.

The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew.

The aircraft crashed shortly…

— Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident. Air India has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Those calling from outside India can call on +91 8062779200. Regular updates will continue on Air India’s X handle (https://x.com/airindia) and on http://airindia.com as further information comes to hand,” it added.

The plane slammed into a hostel for doctors of a medical college, killing five students. Visuals from the crash site show debris had pierced through the wall of a dining hall of the hostel, with food still visible on some of the plates.

A video of the aircraft flying low and struggling to gain altitude shows the plane slamming the ground and exploding in a massive ball of fire at 1.38 pm. It was loaded with fuel since it was flying a long distance to London.

Shortly after take-off, the pilot sent out a mayday call. There was no response after that to repeated calls from the air traffic controller, say reports.

In the final moments, the catastrophic failure to achieve lift happened at a very low altitude of 825 feet. The aircraft was clearly unable to climb, aviation expert Sanjay Lazar told NDTV.

Flight No. AI 171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, had on board 169 Indians, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals.

Visuals showed charred wreckage of the plane, thick smoke rising from the site and emergency personnel at work. Some videos also showed injured taken to hospitals.

At least two dozen ambulances arrived at the site and some have taken away injured people to hospital. The police have diverted traffic from the area.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he is personally monitoring the situation and directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families,” he said in a post on X.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said the aircraft piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hours of experience and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of experience made a mayday call just before the crash.

Air India has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information.