Boeing on Air India plane crash: 'Aware of initial reports, working to gather more information'
Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 with registration VT-ANB, was operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed five minutes after takeoff into a residential area in Meghani Nagar.
- Jun 12, 2025,
- Updated Jun 12, 2025 4:21 PM IST
Boeing India on Thursday issued a brief statement following the crash of an Air India Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, saying it was monitoring the situation. "We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information," Boeing India said.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 with registration VT-ANB, was operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed five minutes after takeoff into a residential area in Meghani Nagar. The aircraft had departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm. Online flight trackers had shown it as a 1:10 pm service.
Air India confirmed the incident and provided details on the passengers and crew on board. "Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals,” the airline said.
"The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," the statement added.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a long-term commander with 8,200 hours of flying experience, along with First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours. The aircraft gave a MAYDAY call after takeoff but did not respond to subsequent attempts by Air Traffic Control.
"Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the DGCA said. Flightradar24 confirmed that the aircraft had earlier flown from Delhi to Ahmedabad earlier in the day.
Boeing India on Thursday issued a brief statement following the crash of an Air India Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, saying it was monitoring the situation. "We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information," Boeing India said.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 with registration VT-ANB, was operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed five minutes after takeoff into a residential area in Meghani Nagar. The aircraft had departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm. Online flight trackers had shown it as a 1:10 pm service.
Air India confirmed the incident and provided details on the passengers and crew on board. "Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals,” the airline said.
"The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," the statement added.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a long-term commander with 8,200 hours of flying experience, along with First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours. The aircraft gave a MAYDAY call after takeoff but did not respond to subsequent attempts by Air Traffic Control.
"Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the DGCA said. Flightradar24 confirmed that the aircraft had earlier flown from Delhi to Ahmedabad earlier in the day.