World Desk

An Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport with 244 people on board has crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, in northwestern India, according to the airline and local media reports.

Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the crash site near Ahmedabad airport. The city, home to more than five million residents, witnessed the disaster in a residential area called Meghani Nagar.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI171, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, went down just five minutes after departing at 13:38 local time. Onboard were 232 passengers and 12 crew members.

Gatwick Airport later confirmed via social media that the flight, scheduled to arrive in London at 18:25, had crashed shortly after takeoff.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, announced on X that emergency teams have been deployed and that medical assistance and relief efforts are ongoing. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he said.

This incident marks the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2009. More than 1,000 of these widebody, twin-engine aircraft have been delivered worldwide, according to Aviation Safety Network and Flightradar24.

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed the airline’s condolences and said the airline’s priority is to support those affected. In a post on X, he confirmed that an emergency response centre and support team have been established to assist families seeking information.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he added.