An Air India aircraft heading to London Gatwick with 242 individuals on board, including passengers and crew, crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad Airport, located in Gujarat, a northwestern state of India.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as Air India flight 171, plummeted back to the ground in the crowded Meghani area of the city merely minutes after it took off at 1:17 PM local time.

Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from a crash site engulfed in flames. 

Other photos showed chunks of the plane’s fuselage and tail protruding from a demolished building. 

The reason for the crash remains unknown; however, a video shared on social media seems to depict the plane descending in a controlled fashion with a steep nose angle and its landing gear extended.

Emergency services are en route to the scene in the hopes of finding survivors, but the scale of the damage displayed in early images suggests there are likely significant casualties. 

The flight reportedly reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it began to descend, according to flight tracking service Flightradar 24, which declared the plane’s transponder signal dropped just seconds after it left the runway.

‘We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take off,’ it said. 

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane sent a mayday call moments before the crash. 

Air India’s Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran shared a heartfelt statement that read: ‘With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. 

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. 

‘We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.’

Gatwick Airport subsequently confirmed the flight that was due to land at 18:25 today had crashed on departure. 

Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline: ‘It’s a Boeing Dreamliner that has gone down – not certain whether they’ve managed to get anybody off the plane. 

‘If it has indeed crash-landed and they can deploy the chutes out then they should be able to get people off in 90 seconds. I am aware there are fire appliances in attendance – this is a major incident. 

‘It is very disappointing that it is a Dreamliner as it is a state-of-the-art Boeing. We cannot rule out security issues. But this is all speculation on my part.’ 

Weather conditions were calm at the time of the accident with clear skies and a windspeed of just seven knots, or eight miles per hour. 

Indian news agency ANI reported police sources had confirmed 242 people were on board the flight. 

India’s aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement: ‘Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. We are on highest alert. 

‘I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. 

‘Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.’

Air India shared a brief statement in the wake of the disaster, writing on X: ‘Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. 

‘At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.’

The tragedy is the latest in a string of disasters involving Boeing jets and comes just six months after a 737 crashed in South Korea, killing 179. 

In October 2018, Boeing’s Lion Air flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, in Indonesia killing all 189 people on board. 

Then, in March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed minutes after departing Addis Ababa, resulting in the deaths of 157 passengers and crew.