An Air India Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick plunged into a residential area just minutes after takeoff this morning, carrying 242 passengers and crew.
The aircraft issued a Mayday call after climbing to around 625 feet, then lost contact before crashing into Meghani Nagar and erupting into a large fireball, sending thick black smoke across the city.
Local emergency crews rushed to the scene, deploying multiple fire engines and ambulances; dozens of injured individuals have been transported to nearby hospitals, though casualty figures have not yet been officially confirmed.
Among those aboard were nationals from India, the U.K., Portugal, and Canada; the flight included two pilots and ten cabin staff.
Indian officials are treating the crash as the first hull loss of a Boeing 787. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he is “personally monitoring the situation” and has placed all aviation and emergency agencies on high alert.
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed “deepest condolences” and confirmed that a family assistance center has been activated.
Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has temporarily suspended flights as investigators from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air India begin probing the cause of the crash.
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