Air India Flight to London Crashes After Take-off in Ahmedabad, 242 Onboard

Ahmedabad, India : An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner route to London Gatwick tragically crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India, with 242 people on board, including passengers and crew.

According to Air India, the aircraft carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The flight also had 10 cabin crew members and two pilots.

India’s Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda confirmed that “many lives have been lost”, though the exact death toll has not yet been disclosed.

First-Ever Crash Involving Boeing 787

The crash marks the first-ever fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, as per the Aviation Safety Network database. The aircraft, over 10 years old, reportedly reached an altitude of 625 feet before it began an abrupt descent at a rate of 475 feet per minute, according to Flightradar24.

The Indian aviation regulator reported that the pilots issued a “Mayday” call shortly after take-off, but no further communication was received from the aircraft despite repeated attempts by air traffic control (ATC).

Ahmedabad Airport Closed

Local authorities confirmed the aircraft crashed within 10 minutes of take-off. Eyewitnesses and officials reported plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site. In response, Ahmedabad International Airport was temporarily closed until 5 PM as rescue and recovery operations continue.

Boeing Faces Renewed Scrutiny

Boeing shares dropped 7% in pre-market trading on Thursday amid the news. The incident adds to the company’s ongoing challenges in rebuilding public confidence following the two fatal crashes of its 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019. Just last week, Boeing agreed to a $1.1 billion settlement to avoid criminal prosecution related to those incidents — a move that continues to face opposition from victims’ families in court.

In January 2024, another scare involving a 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines saw a door plug blow out mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing and temporary grounding of aircraft by the U.S. FAA.

🇬🇧 International Reactions

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed deep concern, calling the crash “devastating” on social media platform X, and extended condolences to all affected passengers and their families.

Tata Group and Air India Respond

N. Chandrasekaran, Chair of Tata Sons, which took control of Air India from the Indian government in 2022, confirmed the accident with “profound sorrow.” Tata has been leading a major overhaul of the airline, and in 2023, announced a record-breaking order for 470 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus as part of a massive modernization plan.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in a previous interview with the Financial Times, had called the project “the biggest aviation turnaround I am ever aware of.”

Rescue operations are ongoing, and authorities are expected to release more details as investigations progress.