UK-bound plane crashes after take-off with 244 people aboard
UK-bound plane crashes after take-off with 244 people aboard
The flight was heading for London
GUJARAT, INDIA - JUNE 12: Smoke rises after a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat on June 12, 2025. The crash occurred in the Meghaninagar area, according to a report by the Press Trust of India, citing local authorities. (Photo by Nandan Dave/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A plane bound for the UK has crashed shortly after take-off. The flight was leaving India's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad heading for London Gatwick. A total of 53 British nationals were on board a Gatwick Airport-bound plane that appeared to explode when it crashed shortly after take-off, Air India has said.
In a statement following the incident on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.'
He added he is being kept updated as the situation develops. The King said he is also being updated on the incident.
Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Air India's chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and a 'devastating event' and said emergency response teams are at the site. A video of the incident, obtained by local media, shows the aircraft flying over a residential area before crashing, creating what appears to be a large explosion.
Article continues below
Commons Leader Lucy Powell said the Government will provide 'all the support that it can' to those affected by the incident. Air India said the flight was departing from Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The airline said 169 passengers are Indian nationals, 53 are British, one is Canadian and seven are Portuguese. The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.
In a statement, Mr Chandrasekaran said: 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
'At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.'
He added: 'An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information.'
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of India's directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press the crash happened in the Meghani Nagar area at 1.38pm local time (9.08am BST). Mr Kidwai said there were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.
It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 posted on social media platform X: 'We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London.
'We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC (shortly before 9.09am BST), just seconds after take off. The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.'
It added the signal from the aircraft was lost 'less than a minute after take off'.
Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses. The airline's UK operations are at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
GUJARAT, INDIA - JUNE 12: Smoke rises after a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat on June 12, 2025. The crash occurred in the Meghaninagar area, according to a report by the Press Trust of India, citing local authorities. (Photo by Nandan Dave/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Recent analysis by the PA news agency found it was the worst airline for delays to flights from UK airports last year, with planes taking off by an average of more than 45 minutes later than scheduled. The airline has gained a poor reputation for delays and cancellations in recent years, partly caused by a lack of funds to purchase spare aircraft parts, which led to some of its fleet being grounded.
Article continues below
The first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft involved in the crash was in December 2013. The plane was delivered to Air India during the following month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
34 minutes ago
- BBC News
Air India: Black box found at Ahmedabad crash site as families wait for answers
A black box has been found at the site of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India's civil aviation minister said on Friday. The flight data recorder was recovered within 28 hours by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed. All but one of the 242 people on the London-bound flight died when it crashed into a residential area less than 60 seconds after take-off on Thursday. An official told the BBC that at least eight people on the ground were also killed."The [recovery of the black box] marks an important step forward in the investigation" and will "significantly aid the inquiry" into the disaster, Mr Kinjarapu said. Live updates as investigators search plane's wreckageBBC Verify on what could have caused the crashEverything we know so far about flight AI171Watch: How the day unfoldedAs details continue to emerge, who are the victims?Analysis: What does this mean for Boeing? Planes usually carry two black boxes - small but tough electronic data recorders. One records flight data, such as altitude and speed. The other records sound from the cockpit, so investigators can hear what the pilots are saying and listen for any unusual is leading the inquiry into the cause of the crash, helped by teams from the US and UK. Boeing's chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, said the company was supporting the investigation. Air India said there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft when it crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:39 local time (08:09 GMT). It was scheduled to land at London's Gatwick airport at 18:25 Friday, the wreckage was still scattered across the crash site, including the blackened wing of the plane, with large pieces of the aircraft stuck in arrived at the scene and crowds were moved further away from the wreckage. A doctor told the BBC that they are relying on DNA from relatives to identify the victims. A police official at the post-mortem room told the BBC that the remains of six people had been released to families so far, as their relatives were able to identify them based on facial sole survivor of the crash, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who was in seat 11A on the flight, is still recovering in hospital. "I still cannot believe how I made it out alive," he told India's state broadcaster DD News on Thursday."At first, I thought I was going to die. I managed to open my eyes, unfastened my seat belt and tried to exit the plane."Mr Ramesh, 40, who sustained burn injuries on his left hand, said he saw the aircraft crew and its passengers die in front of his desperate families are still waiting for news of their relatives. Imtiaz Ali, whose brother Javed and his family were on the flight, said that until he sees his brother's body, he will not believe he has died."If I get sad and start crying, then I'll be uncontrollable," he told the BBC. "No-one will be able to stop me... my heart might burst." The plane crashed in a residential area called Meghani Nagar and, even though it had just taken off, the impact was severe. Wreckage spread over 200m (656ft), according to responders. It is still unclear exactly how many were killed on the ground, but the BBC has been told that at least eight people, who were not on the aircraft, have died. Dr Minakshi Parikh, the dean of the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, said four of their students died as the plane crashed into buildings on the campus."There were also four relatives of our doctors who were on the campus when the aircraft crashed - they too were killed," Dr Parikh said."We are relying only on DNA matching to identify them and it is something where we simply cannot rush or afford mistakes. "We are working with sincerity. We want relatives to understand, and be a bit patient. We want to hand over [the bodies] as soon as possible." On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent around 20 minutes at the site of the plane crash. He did not speak to reporters afterwards but a video posted on his YouTube channel showed him walking around the site and inspecting the also visited the location of a now-viral image that shows the tail of the crashed plane lodged in a building. Earlier on Friday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also went to the crash site, later describing the visit as "deeply moving".According to data by tracking website, Flightradar24, the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 had completed more than 700 flights in the year leading up to the Thursday's disaster. The Air India plane was 11 years old and its most common routes included flights between Mumbai and Dubai, as well as the capital New Delhi and European destinations such as Milan, Paris and plane had operated 25 flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick in the past two years.
The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Intrusive questions are the bane of gay life
Oh how do I hear you Arwa Mahdawi (Strangers on the street: please stop asking me if my wife is my twin sister, 11 June). All my out life (40-plus years), random strangers have found it possible to ask me the most intrusive questions – ones that they would never ask a heterosexual. A couple of recent examples: last week on holiday in Southwold we had dinner in our hotel. The lovely waitperson asked if we were in the same room when I gave our room number, so we then listened carefully. Nope, none of the heterosexuals arounds us got asked. A couple of weeks previously the guy delivering our biomass pellets asked if I was my partner's mum. That one really stung – she is 60 to my 64! Many years ago (different girlfriend), we got asked the twin question; we never had sex again. Sorry, Arwa, you've got this for life – unless the hets get the memo from the Office of Homosexual WillowsBrain's Green, Gloucestershire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Scottish Sun
38 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Tiny detail in Brit sole survivor's gripping recollection of how doomed Air India jet went down may help solve mystery
THE death-cheating Brit sole survivor of the Air India disaster has revealed a clue something was wrong just moments before the crash. Vishwash Ramesh, 40, said the cabin lights began flickering before the jet sank through the air - a detail which could help solve the mystery of the catastrophe. 7 Vishwash Ramesh in hospital, visited by Indian PM Narendra Modi Credit: AFP 7 The Brit staggered away from the wreckage relatively unscathed Credit: Twitter 7 Investigators are scrambling to figure out what went so wrong with the plane Credit: Reuters Recalling the moments before tragedy, Vishwash, from Leicester, said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation comes after a passenger, who took the plane the day before the crash, claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. read more on the disaster CRASH RIDDLE What caused Air India plane crash? 6 theories from landing gear to 40C weather Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. Air India is keeping an open mind as to what went wrong and caused the deaths of 52 Brits. Theories being considered include issues with the engine thrust, flaps and landing gear - as well as a bird strike and a pilot error. And the Indian government's investigation is also considering whether Air India was at fault in any way. India's aviation regulator had recently ordered the airline to safety check its entire Boeing 787 fleet. Vishwash is the only person who can provide an insider's witness account of the moment - and previously said he has "no idea" how he survived. 'I opened my eyes & slipped out'…Brit sole survivor of Air India crash details escape He said: "I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me [...] I walked out of the rubble." The lucky escapee speculated: 'I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel. I don't know about others." Other analysts have suggested he managed to escape thanks to a flying piece of fuselage - which was caught soaring through the air on video. Vishwash's seat was 11A, right next to the emergency door, which is understood to have blown off when the plane struck the building and then exploded. 7 Government officials beneath the tail of the plane, which remains wedged in a building Credit: EPA 7 Vishwash's boarding pass shows that he sat in seat 11A Credit: HT Photo In the unbelievable footage, a tiny object is seen flying away for a split second - right before the jet is engulfed in flames. Investigators continue to analyse the footage and search for the mystery piece of debris as they try to find out what caused the horror crash. Recalling the moment of disbelief when he found himself alive, Vishwash said: "At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage. "I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening and crawled out." 7 Vishwash's brother, Nayankumar Ramesh, said the survivor had phone home to say he was 'fine' Credit: ITV 7 Luggage of the passengers lies in a pile at the crash site Credit: EPA "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. "Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital." Vishwash that the plane caught fire before he fought through the rubble - and then exploded when he was just out of harm's way. Footage shows Vishwash, staggering and caked in blood with locals helping him an ambulance. Speaking in Hindi, he says: "I just got out of the plane, it exploded." From there he was rushed to hospital, and has since heaped praise on the medical staff treating him. He said: 'My treatment is going well, and the people are very supportive.' Vishwash's brother Ajay was onboard the plane and died.
