An Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport with 242 passengers on board crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport today.
The aircraft, Flight AI-171, went down in a residential area just five minutes after takeoff, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
Ahmedabad Police have stated that the possibility of survivors cannot be ruled out. British national Vishwash has been confirmed as one of the survivors.
So far, 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, according to Ahmedabad’s police commissioner, according to Indian news reports.
The aircraft was en route from Ahmedabad to London. Of the 242 passengers — 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.
There are reports suggesting former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani may have been on board, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed on the situation and has ordered immediate rescue and relief operations. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Home Minister Amit Shah are en route to Ahmedabad to oversee emergency efforts.
Emergency Hotlines
- Ministry of Civil Aviation: 011-24610843 | 9650391859
- Air India Passenger Helpline: 1800 5691 444
- Ahmedabad City Police: 079-25620359
Latest Developments
- Flight operations at Ahmedabad Airport have resumed after a brief suspension following the crash.
- Visuals shared on social media show heavy smoke rising from the impact site in a densely populated neighborhood.
- Rescue operations are ongoing, with authorities focusing on identifying victims and supporting survivors and families.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it will be leading a team of US investigators who are heading to India to assist local authorities’ probe into the crash of a Boeing passenger plane, according to a NTSB statement posted on X.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) allows for US agencies, like the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, to other countries into crash investigations. ICAO references 19 technical annexes to maintain uniformity in international civil aviation, and annex 13 outlines how accident investigation participation is determined, according to news reports.
Due to international protocols under the ICAO’s Annex 13, all information from the investigation will be provided by the Government of India. The regulation requires the issuance of an accident investigation preliminary report within 30 days of the event and a final report as soon as possible or within a year of the event.
The same protocol was followed after last year’s deadly Jeju Air flight 2216 crash in South Korea.
