Air India flight to UK crashes in Ahmedabad in India shortly after takeoff – latest updates

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Ahmedabad airport not currently operational and all flights suspended, says spokesperson

A spokesperson for India’s Ahmedabad airport has told the news wires that the airport is not currently operational and all flight operations have been temporarily suspended.

Video footage circulating on social media purports to show the Air India flight AI171 crash:

Here are a couple of images coming in via the newswires:

Smoke rises after an aircraft crashed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, India, on Thursday. Photograph: Mohan Nakum/AP

Thick plumes of smoke are seen after Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after take off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Gatwick airport posted on X that it could confirm the Air India flight AI171, which had been due to arrive at 6.25pm in London, had crashed on departure from Ahmedabad airport. It added that more information would follow.

Air India flight was carrying 232 passengers and 12 crew members

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press (AP) that Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787, was carying 232 passengers and 12 crew members.

Air India confirmed that its flight 171 from the western city of Ahmedabad to London Gatwick had crashed in a “tragic accident”.

“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today,” Air India chair Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in a statement, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said, adding that an emergency centre has been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information.

Firefighters work at the site of an aircraft that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, on Thursday. Photograph: Ajit Solanki/AP

The London-bound flight took off from Ahmedabad at about 1.47 pm, slightly delayed from schedule. Officials say it crashed nine minutes after being given clearance for take off.

India’s directorate general of civil aviation just gave this statement to Indian media:

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8,200 hours of experience. The co-pilot had 1100 hours of flying experience.

As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC.

Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.

Flight tracker website, Flightradar24, has shared that initial ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance broadcast) data from the Air India flight AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet). It then started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute, it adds.

India’s aviation minister has said he is “shocked and devastated” at the flight crash in Ahmedabad. “We are on the highest alert,” he added, with rescue teams mobilised.

According to Reuters, the Indian aviation regulator said that the Air India aircraft fell after depature on ground outside the airport perimeter.

Although there has not been an official number given of the number of passengers and crew on board the Air India flight AI171 yet, the Indian news agency Asian News International (ANI) and Reuters have cited a police source as saying that there are at least 242 passengers on board.

The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report.

Air India flight AI171 involved in 'incident', says airline

Air India have released a statement, reading:

Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia).

Air India flight to UK crashes in Ahmedabad in India shortly after take off

An aircraft has crashed in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, fire service officials have told Agence France-Presse (AFP), without giving immediate details of the plane or any toll.

Thick plumes of black smoke were seen over the airport, an AFP reporter said.

The Times of India reports that an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, bound for London, crashed shortly after take off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport. According to its report, the aircraft plunged into the Meghani area of the city, triggering an immediate emergency response.

This is a breaking news story and we will bring you updates as they come in.