An Air India flight bound for London tragically crashed on Thursday, June 12, just minutes after taking off from the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring medical aid and relief support is provided at the crash site.
Huge plumes of smoke near Indian airport after plane crash, from a post dated June 12, 2025 | Source: Youtube/@SkyNews
The incident involved flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 244 people—232 passengers and 12 crew members—according to officials. Of the 232 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, while one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were also among those traveling.
“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 on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia),” a spokesperson of Air India confirmed on X.
Huge plumes of smoke near Indian airport after plane crash, from a post dated June 12, 2025 | Source: Youtube/@SkyNews
The aircraft had departed at 1:38 p.m. local time. It was scheduled to land at London’s Gatwick Airport at 18:25. According to data from Flight Radar, it lost signal just seconds after takeoff, having reached an altitude of 625 feet.
Before communication with the aircraft was severed, the aircraft issued a mayday alert to air traffic control. No further communication followed after the distress call.
The plane went down in a residential area called Meghani Nagar, crashing into a doctor’s hostel, only five minutes into the flight. The densely populated neighborhood lies near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, a city of over 5 million residents.
Weather conditions were reported to be calm and clear at the time of the crash, according to flight safety expert Marco Chan. Aviation forecasts indicated light surface winds and visibility of around six kilometres, with no severe weather, storms, or wind shear present that could have impacted the flight.
Visuals aired on local news channels showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, confirmed the location of the crash and the number of people on board.
Caught On Cam: Passenger plane crashes near Ahmedabad Airport.#PlaneCrash #Gujarat #Ahmedabad #ViralVideo pic.twitter.com/EkitM2Eg9Y
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 12, 2025
India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, shared that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene, with efforts underway to provide immediate medical assistance and necessary relief to those affected.
“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,” he noted. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended, with the airport remaining closed until further notice.
