An Air India passenger plane bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. Air India later confirmed that only one person survived the crash, with 241 passengers and crew members killed. Authorities also reported dozens of additional fatalities on the ground, as the plane struck parts of a medical college complex and ignited a large fire. According to AP News, flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, plummeted into a residential area called Meghani Nagar. The crash happened just five minutes after the plane departed Ahmedabad’s airport at 1:38 p.m. local time
Black smoke billowed from the crash site as firefighters battled to douse the flames engulfing both the aircraft wreckage and adjacent multi-story buildings. The plane, which would have been fully loaded with fuel for its international journey, crashed into what local media reported was a dining area of a medical college hostel. This has raised fears of additional casualties among residents and students in the densely populated area near the airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat state, where Ahmedabad is the capital, described the disaster as “heartbreaking beyond words” in a social media post.
Air India Flight Is The First Boeing 787 Crash
The London-bound flight carried a diverse group of passengers, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, according to Air India statements. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes “devastating” and pledged support for affected families. The UK government has promised “all the support that it can” to those impacted by the tragedy.
NPR notes that this marks the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft was introduced in 2009. Over 1,000 of these wide-body, twin-engine planes have been delivered to airlines worldwide. Boeing issued a statement saying they are “in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171” and are ready to provide support, while their shares tumbled nearly 9% in pre-market trading.
India’s last major passenger plane crash occurred in 2020, when an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people. The country’s worst air disaster happened on November 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided mid-air with a Kazakhstan Airlines flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 people aboard both planes.
This article has been updated to reflect new information from Air India and local authorities confirming one survivor and additional ground fatalities.
