An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick airport, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon, with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national were on board.
The wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft, bearing registration VT-ANB, was operating flight AI-171 between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick airport. A thick cloud of smoke was visible from the accident site, the residential area of Meghani Nagar, in the vicinity of the Ahmedabad airport.
This is the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft globally. This particular aircraft was delivered to Air India in January 2014. As per flight tracking data, the signal from the aircraft was lost at an altitude of just 625 feet, moments after takeoff. It then descended with a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute.
A statement issued by Air India read, “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad- London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.” Air India has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad has been shut till further notice. State officials said the crash took place around nine minutes after the plane got clearance for takeoff. According to officials at the spot, dense smoke posed a challenge to rescue operations, which are still underway.
·Air India’s statement on passengers: “The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.” it said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally spoke to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Rammohan Naidu, and took stock of the Air India flight crash incident in Ahmedabad. The minister informed the Prime Minister that he is rushing to Ahmedabad to oversee rescue and relief operations on the ground, an official statement said.
The Prime Minister has directed the Minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation. All relevant agencies are on high alert, and coordinated efforts are underway, it added.
Ram Mohan Naidu posted on X: “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”.
Home Minister Amit Shah in a post on X, said, “Pained beyond words by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Disaster response forces have been quickly rushed to the crash site. Spoke with the Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi, and Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad to assess the situation”.