Ahmedabad: An Air India Boeing 787-8 passenger plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, western India on Thursday, with 241 of the 242 people on board confirmed dead and only one surviving. The Indian government has launched a formal investigation into the tragic plane crash.
According to Namibia Press Agency, a local media report indicates that one of the two black boxes has been found by the aviation authorities.
At 13:38 local time on Thursday, the Air India flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad Airport to London Gatwick Airport in the UK crashed shortly after takeoff. A video circulating on social media showed that the passenger plane failed to climb smoothly and then exploded, with thick black smoke billowing at the scene. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a statement, noting that the pilot had sent a distress signal to the air traffic control center shortly after takeoff but subsequently did not respond to the control center's calls. Flight tracking website "Flightradar24" showed the plane disappeared from the radar screen less than a minute after takeoff. Footage from Indian media revealed the plane crashed into a building in a densely populated area, specifically a medical college dormitory.
According to Indian media reports, the crashed plane carried 242 people, including 12 crew members, 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, one Canadian citizen, and seven Portuguese citizens. Air India announced on social media that 241 of the 242 people on board have been confirmed dead, with one survivor. However, local police reported that at least 265 people have been killed, including casualties on the ground due to the accident. Currently, the black box at the tail of the plane has been found, while the front black box is still being searched. A spokesman for Ahmedabad Airport stated that the airport is unable to operate due to the crash, with all flights suspended until further notice.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved is a wide-body twin-engine aircraft that began commercial operation in late 2011. The crashed aircraft was delivered to Air India in January 2014 and had been in service for more than 11 years, marking the first fatal crash of this model. However, the Boeing 787 has faced several safety concerns. In early 2013, all Boeing 787 aircraft globally were grounded due to battery overheating issues in two aircraft operated by All Nippon Airways. In March 2024, a Boeing 787-9 flying from Sydney to Auckland experienced a "technical failure," causing injuries. In July 2024, another Boeing 787-9 made an emergency landing, resulting in 30 injuries. In 2024, Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testified before a U.S. Senate panel about manufacturing issues with the 787 Dreamliner, though Boeing executives denied these claims.