On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft lost radar contact less than a minute after departure at 1:38 PM IST, issuing a mayday call before disappearing from radar. It crashed into a residential area near BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, igniting a massive fire that required over 70 fire trucks to control.
The flight was carrying 242 people: 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. Among the passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani . Authorities have reported at least 204 bodies recovered from the crash site, including both passengers and victims on the ground. The crash also resulted in casualties among local residents, with reports indicating that up to 60 medical students from a nearby hostel were hospitalized.
This incident marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network . The cause of the crash is under investigation, with Air India cooperating fully with authorities. The airline has established a hotline for affected families and pledged ₹1 crore (approximately £86,000) to each victim’s family, along with coverage for medical and rebuilding costs .
Global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have expressed condolences and pledged support to the victims and their families .
