Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad crashed in Meghani Nagar area of the city shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The London-bound Air India aircraft AI-171 crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday in what is being said to be the worst aviation disaster in India.
Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad crashed in Meghani Nagar area of the city shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had 242 people — 230 passengers and 12 crew members — on board.
The cause of the crash is not known. The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad airport at 1:38pm from runway 23 and moments later, gave a MAYDAY call to the air traffic controllers before crashing directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess.
Among those onboard the flight was former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani.
Two helpline numbers — 079-232-51900 & 9978405304 by the Gujarat Government and 9974111327 by Ahmedabad Airport — have been released.
Here’s what we know so far about the Ahmedabad plane crash:
Incident Overview
Flight & Aircraft: Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (VT‑ANB), was bound for London’s Gatwick with 242 people aboard (230 passengers, 12 crew)
Crash Details: The plane declared a Mayday shortly after takeoff at around 13:38 pm on Thursday (June 12) and lost communication in under a minute after departure.
Crash Site: It plunged into a residential area — smashing into a doctors’ hostel near Meghani Nagar just outside the airport perimeter.
Passenger Nationality: 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian national were on board the ill-fated aircraft.
Impact & Casualties
Casualties: 241 passengers and crew members out of the total 242 people on board the ill-fated plane and five inmates of the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess have died in the fatal crash.
Lone Survivor: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, miraculously survived the crash and is currently receiving treatment at the Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad. Kumar came out as a lone survivor of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash on Thursday. Vishwas was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh (45), who died in the crash, after visiting his family in Gujarat.
VIP Onboard: Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was traveling on this flight. Nothing so far has been known regarding his present status.
Investigation & Responses
Investigation Teams: The DGCA, AAIB, Air India, and Boeing are learnt to have launched coordinated probes. Flight records, cockpit voice and data recorders will be analyzed.
This marks the first-ever fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction and the first Air India hull-loss in decades.
In summary, this tragic accident — likely to be the world’s first fatal Boeing 787 crash — occurred under a minute after takeoff, with significant loss of life and injuries. Rescue missions are in full swing while official probes commence to unravel the cause. Updates on passenger outcomes and technical findings are expected as investigations proceed.
