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An Air India flight to London Gatwick has crashed in Ahmedabad in western India shortly after take-off, according to local police.
Police in Gujarat state told the Financial Times that the plane crashed “within 10 minutes” of taking off from the airport in Ahmedabad.
Local media said 242 people were on board, including two pilots and 10 members of cabin crew.
“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details,” Air India posted on X.
The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and sent its last signal just seconds after take-off, according to Flightradar24.
Tata, which took over the airline from state control in 2022, said it could not immediately comment.
Tata promised to modernise the carrier, and in 2023 Air India agreed a deal with Boeing and Airbus to buy 470 new aircraft, one of the largest orders in aviation history.
The airline’s chief executive Campbell Wilson told the FT in 2023 that the modernisation plan was “the biggest aviation turnaround . . . that I am ever aware of”.
Gatwick airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story
The tragic news of an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick that crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, India has left the aviation industry and the world in shock. According to local authorities, the plane went down within 10 minutes of departing from Ahmedabad airport, with 242 individuals on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.
Air India, in a statement, confirmed the incident involving Flight AI171 and stated that they are currently gathering more information about the situation. The aircraft involved in the crash was identified as a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with its last signal being transmitted just moments after take-off, as reported by Flightradar24.
Following the takeover of Air India by Tata in 2022, the airline had been undergoing a modernization process. In 2023, Air India made a significant order of 470 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, marking one of the largest orders in the history of aviation. Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed that this modernization plan was the most significant aviation turnaround he had ever witnessed.
As investigations into the cause of the crash are underway, Gatwick airport has not yet released a statement regarding the tragic incident. This developing story has sent shockwaves through the aviation industry and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this heartbreaking event.
