Ahmedabad: In one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Flight AI171 crashed into a residential area near Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, just minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport this afternoon.
The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, was carrying 242 people, including 232 passengers and 10 crew members. The tragedy unfolded at approximately 1:38 PM IST on Thursday.
The passenger list included several Indian, British, Portuguese, and Canadian nationals, with Air India confirming 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens were on board. Among the passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. According to initial reports, over 100 fatalities are feared, though rescue operations are still ongoing and official casualty figures are awaited.
Flight AI171 departed from Runway 23 at 1:38 PM. Within moments of liftoff, the pilots issued a “MAYDAY” distress call to Air Traffic Control (ATC), signaling a life-threatening emergency. Eyewitnesses and officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the aircraft struggled to gain altitude and reached only about 825 feet before it nose-dived and exploded into flames.
The crash site in Meghani Nagar, a densely populated residential area, was immediately engulfed in flames. Witnesses described hearing a thunderous explosion, followed by scenes of panic as debris rained down and fires spread rapidly. Emergency services rushed to the site, including the local fire brigade, police, ambulances, and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that a detailed investigation is underway into the crash of Air India flight AI-171, which went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad this afternoon.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered VT-ANB and operating a scheduled service to London’s Gatwick, crashed just outside the airport perimeter minutes after departure.
