Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates: Air India flight carrying 242 passengers crashes in Meghaninagar area near the airport

An Air India flight traveling from Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick) crashed into a residential area (Meghani Nagar) shortly after takeoff at 1:38 p.m., just five minutes into the flight. The aircraft, a Boeing 727 twin jet, had a total of 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.

According to police reports, the Air India Flight AI 171 was en route to London when the incident occurred on June 12, 2025. The flight was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who has accumulated 8,200 flying hours, along with First Officer Clive Kundar, who has 1,100 hours of experience. Air Traffic Control noted that the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad at 1:39 p.m. IST (08:09 UTC) from runway 23.

It issued a MAYDAY call, but no further communication was received. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed outside the airport’s perimeter, with heavy black smoke visible from the accident site, according to a source from the DGCA. Air India released a statement on June 12, 2025, acknowledging the incident involving Flight AI171 and mentioned that details are being confirmed, promising to provide updates soon via their website and social media handle.