List of disastrous civilian tragedies that shook India's aviation sector

Times of Oman

2 days ago

Ahmedabad : Air India flight AI171 with destination to Gatwick in London, crashed on Thursday, shortly after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational, and all flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice, the airport said.
Confirming the incident, Air India said that among the 242 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 Britishers, seven portugese and one Canadian national.
, "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 hours, 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 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 Airlines said.
This tragic incident evokes memories of previous air disasters that have profoundly shaped India's aviation narrative. Below is a list of the most catastrophic air tragedies in the country's history.
One of the most tragic incidents was the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision on November 12, 1996. The accident involved a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747, which collided in mid-air with Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907. All 349 people on board both planes were killed, making it the deadliest mid-air collision in history.
In 2010, Air India Express Flight, flying from Dubai to Mangalore, overshot the runway on landing at Mangalore International Airport, killing 158 passengers.
In 1988, Indian Airlines Flight crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad Airport due to pilot error, resulting in 130 casualties.
In January 1978, Air India Flight 855 plunged into the Arabian Sea shortly after it took off from Mumbai. All 213 passengers on board died.
In 1990, Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashed, resulting in 92 casualties.
In 1993, Indian Airlines Flight 491 crashed into a truck at the end of the runway at Aurangabad in Maharashtra, resulting in 55 casualties.
On July 17, 2000, Alliance Air Flight crashed in a residential estate of Patna in Bihar. 55 people on board were killed in the incident.
Similarly, in 2020, Air India Express Flight, flying from Dubai to Kozhikode, overshot the runway, killing 18 people.
In addition to these civilian disasters, India has also witnessed several military crashes.
On July 22, 2016, an Indian Air Force plane crashed in the Bay of Bengal, resulting in approximately 29 casualties.
In 2019, another plane of the same design crashed in hilly terrain in Arunachal Pradesh after it lost contact with ground control, resulting in 13 casualties.
In April 2025, A jaguar fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed during a training mission near Jamnagar Air Force Station, resulting in 1 casualty.