A passenger plane that was due to land in the U.K. this evening crashed in India shortly after taking off with 53 British nationals on board.
The Air India flight departed at 1:39 p.m. local time Thursday from Ahmedabad Airport bound for Gatwick Airport south of London. The plane crashed into the residential area of Meghaninagar within five minutes of leaving the runway.
India’s Directorate of Civil Aviation Chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai confirmed there were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on the plane, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.
U.K. House of Commons Leader Lucy Powell said the government would “provide all the support that it can” to families in the U.K. and India.
“It will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many, many families and communities here and those waiting for the arrival of their loved ones,” Powell told MPs Thursday. “We send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to all those families.”
The British Foreign Office confirmed “the U.K. is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved.”
Air India said: “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.”
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash.
“Rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he added.
India’s aviation regulator DGCA confirmed the flight gave a mayday call to air traffic control.
The Ahmedabad Airport has temporarily shut down and suspended all flights until further notice.
Gatwick Airport also acknowledged the incident, stating: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
The Aviation Safety Network database said it was the first-ever Boeing 787 aircraft crash in the 14 years it has carried passenger flights. The tracking website Flightradar24 said it received the last signal from the aircraft at just 190 meters after takeoff.
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