All 242 people aboard Air India flight AI171, including 12 crew members and two infants, have been reported dead after the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Police Commissioner for Ahmedabad, G.S. Malik, confirmed the grim toll, stating, “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash.” The crash site, located in a residential and office area, may have also resulted in casualties on the ground, though exact figures are still being determined.
One of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, departed Ahmedabad at 1:08 pm. Within minutes, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed into the densely populated Meghani area, just outside the airport perimeter. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane struggling to gain height before a plume of black smoke rose from the crash site.
Emergency services, including fire and rescue teams, responded swiftly, cordoning off the area and launching intensive rescue and firefighting operations. Despite their efforts, officials confirmed that there were no survivors among the 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian on board.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft issued a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control moments after takeoff but became unresponsive immediately afterward. The last signal from the plane was recorded at 1:08 pm, just seconds after departure.
Aviation experts have called the crash highly unusual, noting that modern jets like the Boeing 787 are equipped with multiple backup systems and that takeoff accidents of this nature are extremely rare. Preliminary analysis suggests a sudden, catastrophic failure during the critical phase of takeoff, but the exact cause remains under investigation. Both the DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have launched formal inquiries.