Air India Flight to London Crashes in Ahmedabad

It's a tragic day for Indian aviation. The focus now is on supporting families and uncovering what went wrong.

Air India flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft went down in Gujarat’s Meghani Nagar area, just outside the airport perimeter, with 242 people on board.

The aircraft departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:38 hrs. Within five minutes, it was lost from radar. Eyewitnesses reported heavy black smoke rising from the crash site near a densely populated area. Ahmedabad airport has temporarily suspended all flight operations.

“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today,” Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in a stateme