Air India Flight Crashes After Takeoff, 242 Onboard in Ahmedabad

At least 242 people were on board an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday, 12th June. Police and the airline confirmed the crash but did not specify if there were any fatalities.

The flight was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport in the UK. The airline said the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

According to a source cited by Reuters, the total number of people on board included 217 adults and 11 children.

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger planes in service, according to aviation tracking site Flightradar24.

The plane took off from runway 23 at Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 p.m. local time (08:09 GMT).

Air traffic control reported that the plane issued a “Mayday” emergency call shortly after takeoff but did not respond afterward.

Flightradar24’s last signal from the aircraft was received seconds after departure.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane take off over a residential area before disappearing from view.

A large fire and thick black smoke were visible near the airport. Emergency responders were seen moving injured people on stretchers and into ambulances.

The airline said it was still gathering details and would share updates. The Indian aviation minister’s office reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed authorities to provide immediate support to rescue efforts.

All flight operations at Ahmedabad airport were temporarily suspended.

This crash is the latest serious accident involving Indian aircraft. The last major incident was in 2020 when an Air India Express Boeing 737 overshot a runway at Kozhikode Airport, causing a crash that killed 21 people.

Investigators have recovered the black box flight recorders from the crash site.

Source: France 24