Ahmedabad: Wreckage of Air India Flight AI171 seen lodged in a building at the crash site, in Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Photo: IANS/X/@CISFHQrs)
New Delhi: At least 169 Indians and 53 British nationals were travelling on Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, which crashed soon after takeoff. An airline official gave this information on Thursday.
The flight, which took off from Ahmedabad at 1.38 pm, had 242 passengers and crew members on board, including seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian national. There were 10 cabin crew and two pilots on board the plane. Captain Sumit Sabharwal, a long-time Air India pilot with over 8,200 flight hours experience, and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had flown 1,100 hours.
The first major accident since Air India’s privatisation in January 2022, led the Tata Group-managed airline to mourn the incident by changing its official ‘X’ account profile and cover photo to black as a symbol of solidarity.
Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed grief over the deaths in the accident by posting on Twitter. He wrote, “With great sadness I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.”
He said, “Our condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this heartbreaking incident. At this time, our priority is to support all affected people and their families.”
Chandrasekaran said, “We are doing everything in our capacity to assist the emergency response teams at the accident site and provide all necessary assistance and care to the affected people. Further updates will be shared as soon as we receive more verified information. An emergency center has been activated and support teams have been set up for families seeking information.”
The airline has set up a hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information related to the accident.
The plane took off from runway 23 of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm. According to officials, a mayday call was issued moments after takeoff but no further communication was received from the cockpit.
According to a DGCA statement, the plane crashed outside the airport boundary. DGCA officials have reached the spot to collect flight data, voice recordings and witness statements as part of their investigation.
