Air India Flight AI171 Crashes Shortly After Takeoff from Ahmedabad

Tragic Incident Involving Air India Flight

Just moments after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Air India flight AI171, which was en route to Gatwick, London, met with a tragic accident on Thursday. The airport authorities announced a temporary suspension of all flight operations at the airport until further notice. Air India confirmed that among the 242 passengers on board, 169 were Indian, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian.

Timeline of Events Leading to the Fatal Crash

The aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:38 PM.

Shortly after takeoff, the crew issued a MAYDAY call indicating a critical situation. Following this distress signal, there was no further communication from the aircraft.

Flightradar24 reported that the last signal from the plane was received just seconds after it took off.

At approximately 2:00 PM, the aircraft lost altitude rapidly and crashed, resulting in a massive fireball and thick black smoke rising into the sky.

As a result of the incident, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport was closed for all operations.

Air India stated, “Flight AI171, which was traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident shortly after takeoff. The flight, which left Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM, had 242 passengers and crew members aboard the Boeing 787-8. Among them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, one was Canadian, and seven were Portuguese. The injured individuals are being transported to nearby hospitals. We have established a dedicated hotline at 1800 5691 444 for further information. Air India is fully cooperating with the authorities investigating this incident.”