A devastating air disaster struck India’s aviation industry on Thursday, June 12, 2025, when Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed into a densely populated residential area just five minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The flight was carrying 232 passengers and 12 crew members.
The aircraft, which took off at 1:38 p.m. local time, went down near Meghani Nagar, a crowded neighborhood in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State. Flames and thick black smoke engulfed the area, as emergency crews rushed to the crash site. Television footage showed firefighters battling the blaze and residents frantically searching for survivors amid the debris.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed the crash, describing it as one of the most catastrophic air incidents in recent Indian history. This marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model introduced in 2009 and considered one of the safest and most technologically advanced in commercial aviation, with over 1,000 aircraft in service globally.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated via X that all available emergency resources were immediately deployed. “We are on the highest alert. Medical aid and rescue operations are ongoing. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he said. Hospitals across Ahmedabad were placed on standby, while a no-fly zone was declared over the crash site.
Air India’s Chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, expressed “deep sorrow” and confirmed that an emergency control center has been established to provide real-time support to families of the victims. “Our focus right now is fully on the families affected by this tragic event,” he said. Grief counseling and a dedicated helpline have also been activated for relatives seeking information.
At London’s Gatwick Airport, where the flight was expected to land at 6:25 p.m. local time, airport authorities confirmed the crash and activated emergency protocols. British officials said consular support would be extended to any UK nationals on the flight, though passenger nationalities have not yet been officially released.
Global aviation authorities, including Boeing, the FAA, and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, have all pledged to launch a full inquiry. As tributes pour in from across the world, questions are already being raised about what led to such a catastrophic failure on one of the most reliable aircraft types in operation. For now, India mourns one of its darkest days in aviation.
