An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed into a residential area near Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, issued a “Mayday” distress call before plunging into a doctors’ hostel in Meghani Nagar just 1.4 km southwest of the runway at approximately 13:40 local time (08:10 GMT).
The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control “seconds after takeoff” at a mere 625 feet altitude, according to flight-tracking data. The crash site, a hostel housing medical students, suffered severe damage, with debris igniting multiple fires.
Ahmedabad police confirmed rapid mobilisation of over two dozen ambulances and firefighting teams, with a senior officer stating, “We have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon.”
Among the 232 passengers and 12 crew members were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu termed the incident “shocking and devastating,” activating federal investigators amid personal oversight by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Boeing, facing an 8% premarket stock plunge, acknowledged awareness of reports but withheld further comment pending evidence review.
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed an emergency support centre for families.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. […] Our primary focus is on supporting all affected people and their families.
The crash marks India’s deadliest aviation disaster since the 2020 Kozhikode Air India Express tragedy, casting a shadow over the nation’s otherwise robust safety record and igniting global scrutiny of Boeing’s flagship model.
