Air India flight to London Gatwick crashes in Ahmedabad with more than 240 people onboard
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
At least 242 people were on board the flight bound for London when it crashed in India's Ahmedabad.
At least 242 people were on board the flight when it crashed shortly after take off in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. More than 50 of the passengers are British nationals. Air India flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad Airport at 1.38pm local time on Thursday.
According to flight tracking website Flightrader, the aircraft had reached a height of 625ft before crashing. Its last signal was received less than a minute after take off.
Minutes after take off, it crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press.
At least 30 bodies have been recovered from a building at the site of the crash, Reuters reported, citing rescue workers at the site. More people were trapped inside the building, the workers said.
Air India said of the 242 passengers and crew on the plane, 53 are British nationals, 169 are Indian nationals, seven are Portuguese and one person is Canadian.
Those that have been injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.
The airline said it has also "set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information".
The flight had been due to land at London Gatwick at 6.25pm local time. It is also unknown at this stage what caused the crash. The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The American aircraft manufacturer which makes the plane, said it is "aware of initial reports" and is working to gather more information. pilot of flight AI171 managed to make a mayday call before the crash. This would mean the crew was aware of a problem before the incident happened. A mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used in radio communication. It indicates an imminent danger and the need for immediate assistance. investigators will now be studying the video and the two black boxes recording cockpit conversations and technical data to try to understand why the crash occurred.
It's possible there was an engine failure of some kind, perhaps caused by a catastrophic mechanical fault. But the plane is designed to be able to fly with one engine, even at take-off, so something else would have to go wrong too, Sir Keir Starmer said the scenes emerging from the site of the crash in Ahmedabad are "devastating".
The prime minister said he is being kept updated as the situation develops. Buckingham Palace said King Charles is also being briefed on the crash.
The country's civil aviation minister said he is "shocked and devastated".
"I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said. "Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.
"My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families. LIVE 12 June 2025 14:02 More reaction from around the world
We have some more reaction from world leaders to bring you, after what appears to be one of the worst aviation disasters in history.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: "We have learned with deep emotion of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. In this time of sorrow, I extend our heartfelt thoughts to the victims' loved ones and to Prime Minister @NarendraModi."
Australian president described it as “absolutely devastating”, adding that Australia’s thoughts “are with everyone affected”.
Irish prime minister Michael Martin said Ireland is “thinking of the families of all those on board, along with the emergency services attending the scene”, while EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Europe “stands in solidarity with [India prime minister Narendra Modi] and the people of India in this moment of sorrow”
And Russian president Vladimir Putin offered words of condolence to the Indian prime minister. "Please convey words of sincere sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes of a swift recovery to all those injured in this catastrophe,” he said.
LIVE :12 June 2025 13:54 At least 204 bodies recovered from crash site so far - Indian police
Indian police have now confirmed that at least 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far.
It is not clear how many of these are people from the plane and how many are people who were already on the ground, the local police chief has said.
LIVE :12 June 2025 12:57 City police chief says there 'appears to be no survivors'
The Ahmedabad police chief has told AP that there appears to be no survivors from the plane crash. There were 242 people on board the plane, including passengers from India and the UK. Follow Manchester Today on Facebook, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Newsdesk@ManchesterToday.org.uk
