Gujarat Plane Crash: Flight Operations at Ahmedabad Airport Temporarily Suspended After Air India Flight Carrying 242 People Crashes

Shortly after departing Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM on June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Meghani Nagar, confirmed DGCA. The flight to London crashed nearly five minutes after departure. Initially, the flight was planned to depart from Ahmedabad and arrive at Gatwick. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), Ahmedabad, is not functioning due to the Air India plane tragedy. All flight operations have been temporarily halted until further notice, a representative for the SVPIA said.

After learning of the Air India plane crash, Rammohan Naidu, the civil aviation minister, hurried to Ahmedabad.

Captain Sumit Sabharwal and Clive Kunder co-piloted the Air India flight. According to the DGCA, there were 12 crew members and 232 passengers on board, including 230 adults and 2 infants, for a total of 242 individuals. India Today reports that after taking off, the Air India Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight sent a mayday call to ATC and crashed outside the airport boundary.

Firefighters were sent to the scene to put out the fire after the Air India plane crashed and caught fire, according to Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia. Smoke could be seen for a long time, and the airport emergency crew was sent in right away. Details regarding the incident are still being gathered by the DAW, ADAW, and one FOI who was already in Ahmedabad on another assignment.

Emergency at Ahmedabad Airport: Air India Flight Crashes During Take-Off, 242 Onboard — Rescue Ops Underway.#AirIndia#AhmedabadAirport#FlightAccident#EmergencyLanding#AviationNewspic.twitter.com/ndnjiInIqv

— Lokmat Times (@lokmattimeseng) June 12, 2025

PTI reported, many injured people were sent to the City Civil Hospital.

Also Read: Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Home Minister Amit Shah Speaks To Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Promises Central Assistance

To discuss the Ahmedabad Air India aircraft disaster, Narendra Modi had a direct conversation with Rammohan Naidu, the Minister of Civil Aviation.

The Prime Minister instructed the Minister to make sure that all required assistance is given right away and asked for frequent reports on the situation after the Minister told him that he was rushing to Ahmedabad to supervise rescue and relief efforts.

Air India released an initial statement on social media, confirming the incident:
“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on airindia.com and our X handle.” While the cause of the crash is yet to be determined, aviation authorities and Air India officials are expected to launch a full-scale investigation. More updates will follow as the situation develops.