An Air India flight from Gatwick to Goa has been cancelled, reports the Associated Press (AP). The flight, which was due to leave on Thursday night from London Gatwick airport to the Indian state of Goa, has been cancelled after the airline’s earlier crash in north-western India. The flight to Manohar International airport had been scheduled to depart at 8.30pm, about two hours after the flight from Ahmedabad had been due to land at the airport south of London, reports the AP. Ahmedabad police have said there was at least one survivor from the flight. According to media reports, the sole survivor of the crash was 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian, who lives in London and was in Ahmedabad visiting family. He said he had lived in London for the past 20 years and had travelled to India with his brother who was also on the plane “Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” said Ramesh, speaking to the Hindustan Times. He said he “impact injuries”, including bruising on his chest, eyes and feet but was otherwise lucid and conscious. Ramesh, who still had his boarding pass, told Hindustan Times: 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. Earlier, Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press (AP) that there appeared to be no survivors from the plane crash. Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday he was “saddened” by the plane crash in neighbouring India, where all 242 people on board an Air India flight are believed to have died. “Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief,” Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on X. Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, has expressed his “deep sorrow” after the London-bound plane crashed on Thursday. He said in a video statement posted on X: I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event. This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones. Air India owner, Tata Sons, said it would also cover the medical expenses of those injured after the plane crash at Ahmedabad airport. In a statement posted on X, the chair of the group Natarajan Chandrasekaran said: We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India flight 171. No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured. Tata Group will provide ₹1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical’s hostel. We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time. According to the PA news agency, the Tata Sons have said they will offer about £86,000 to the families of each person who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released the following statement: The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India. In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation. This is in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 because UK citizens were on board the aircraft. We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian led investigation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident. British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO): 020 7008 5000. Here are a few more images coming in via the newswires: Pope Leo XIV expressed his “heartfelt condolences” Thursday to those who have lost loved ones in an air crash in India and prayers for those recovering the bodies of victims. “Deeply saddened by the tragedy involving an Air India aircraft near Ahmedabad, his Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives,” the Vatican’s secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in a telegram. Leo also sent his “assurance of prayers for all involved in the recovery efforts”, Parolin said. Irish premier Micheál Martin has expressed his condolences to those who have died in a London-bound plane that crashed in India. “It is horrific and very, very sad what has happened in India, the plane [crash] just shortly after departure, I believe less than a minute,” the taoiseach said, reports the PA news agency. He added: Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families of those bereaved, crew members bereaved, and with the people of India, Britain and Canada. The world is a much closer place, we all travel. It is extremely sad and shocking that an accident of this scale has occurred with the loss of so much life. It’s not too long away from the commemoration of the Air India disaster in Ireland 50 years ago. All of us who experienced that had a sense of trauma that people go through when crashes of this kind happen. US planemaker Boeing said it was ready to support Air India after the crash on Thursday of a London-bound flight with 242 people on board, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them,” said a Boeing statement. “Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.” Earlier on Thursday, it said it was “working to gather more information” on the incident. The crash was the first ever for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (see 11.20am BST). There appear to be no survivors from a Gatwick Airport-bound plane carrying 53 British nationals which crashed shortly after take-off in India, a police commissioner has said. Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press that “some locals would also have died” in the crash on Thursday. A video of the incident circulating online shows the Air India aircraft, which was carrying more than 240 people, flying over a residential area before crashing, creating what appears to be a huge fireball followed by large plumes of black smoke. Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into a residential building as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke. Pieces of the aircraft’s landing gear, fuselage and tail could all be seen protruding from the building. Britain’s King Charles said on Thursday he was desperately shocked by the Air India plane crash in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, with passengers including 53 Britons and one Canadian. “My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning,” the monarch said in a statement. “Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones. “I would like to pay a particular tribute to the heroic efforts of the emergency services and all those providing help and support at this most heartbreaking and traumatic time.” More than 200 people have died after an Air India plane crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, Kanan Desai, a top city police officer told Reuters. The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport, Reuters reported. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. “The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel … we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane’s body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight. Reuters also reported that a senior police officer had said the plane crashed into a doctors’ hostel. India’s minister for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said there have been reports of 105 casualties after the crash of a Gatwick-bound plane which departed from Ahmedabad airport. According to the PA news agency, Mohol said in a statement translated on Sky News: We have heard there is 105 casualties. We have not given a statement about it … the first of all the priorities is that we have to save as many people as possible. He also said: There is a recovery plan going on at the site. I cannot comment on all this and I think it will take some time. Agence France-Presse (AFP) are reporting that the Ahmedabad police commissioner has said that there “appears to be no survivors” from the Air India plane crash. The police chief added that there are casualties on the ground where the aircraft crashed. Here is what we know so far on the breaking news story of the Air India flight AI171 crash: An Air India passenger plane bound for Gatwick airport with more than 240 people on board has crashed shortly after take off from the north-western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 (also known as a Dreamliner), came down in the residential area of Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1.38pm local time, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press. Footage from the near the scene showed smoke billowing from the crash site. According to reports in the Indian media the plane crashed into a building comprising accommodation for doctors working in local hospitals. The plane issued a mayday call to air traffic control after take off. According to the Flightradar24 website, signal was lost seconds after take off when the plane had reached a height of 625ft. Air India said 242 people were on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. Among those were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese people and one Canadian, according to the airline. Kidwai said 244 people were onboard – it has not been possible to reconcile the discrepancy. There has been no official word on casualties from the Indian authorities. Rescue personnel at the site, however, told Reuters at least 30 bodies had been recovered from a building where the plane came down. There is no information yet on possible causes, though in aviation, crashes are statistically most likely during landing or take off. An aviation safety expert told the BBC that weather conditions had been stable and clear at the time. This map shows the path of the Air India flight AI171: Amy Leversidge, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa), said: Pilots around the globe are deeply saddened by this news. Members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association send condolences to all those affected. It is vital a full and thorough investigation is now carried out without interference or unhelpful speculation about the contributory factors so that future tragedies can be avoided. Here are a few images coming in via the newswires: Here is a map from our graphics team showing where the Air India flight AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, David Lammy has said. The UK foreign secretary told the House of Commons: My thoughts and I’m sure those of the entire house are with those who’ve been affected by the tragic plane crash in India this morning. We know that British nationals were on board and I can confirm that the FCDO is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London. At least 30 bodies have been recovered from a building at the site of a plane crash in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, rescue personnel at the site said, according to Reuters. More people were trapped inside, the rescue workers said. In a statement on X, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said: The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected. A senior police officer has told reporters that the Air India flight AI171 crashed on a doctors’ hostel. “The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel … we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” they said, reports Reuters. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report. Here is a video via the newswires that shows smoke rising above Ahmedabad after an Air India flight crashed on Thursday: “Many people” have died in a plane crash in India’s Ahmedabad city, the country’s health minister said on Thursday, the first confirmation of casualties in the accident. In an earlier statement, Air India said the injured were being taken to the nearest hospitals. “At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X. The Air India tragedy in Ahmedabad is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed. While airlines using the Boeing plane have had widespread problems with engines on the 787 plane, leaving many having to ground planes and reduce flights, the 787’s safety record in service has been so far good. However, the US safety regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has had to investigate several concerns over the years, including a mid-air dive on a LATAM flight last year. A whistleblower last year also urged Boeing to ground all 787 Dreamliners worldwide, in Washington hearings. Boeing rejected the claims by the former engineer and said it was fully confident in the plane. There are more than 1,100 787s in service worldwide, used by most major international airlines. The model has been prized for its far better fuel efficiency and lower noise than the types it replaced. The two major crashes that were due to faults on Boeing planes were using the then new 737 Max model, in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2019 and 2020. That model taken out of service for almost a year, before being relaunched and returned to widespread use. India’s aviation safety history has been chequered, but as the airline industry has boomed and passenger flying has become more and more common, its safety record has improved. Air India now operates about 30 Dreamliners, and has been using the American-built long-haul plane since 2012. In aviation, crashes are statistically most likely on landing or take off. According to flight tracking information on Flightradar24, the plane had taken off and reached a height of 625 feet. The last Air India crash, in August 2020, was on a smaller Boeing 737-800 Air India Express that was landing back at Calicut airport in very bad weather and skidded off the runway. A Boeing spokesperson said: We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information. UK prime minister Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the passengers and families of those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick airport which crashed in Ahmedabad. According to the PA news agency, he said: The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time. Here are some more images coming in via the newswires: Air India has said that the passengers on its flight AI171 included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. In a statement on X, Air India said: 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, one Canadian national and seven 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 UK government will provide “all the support that it can” to those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick airport which crashed shortly after take off, House of Commons leader Lucy Powell said. According to the PA news agency, speaking in the Commons, Powell said: The thoughts of the whole House and the government will be with the families of those traveling on flight AI171 from Ahmedabad in India to London, Gatwick, which has reportedly crashed. This is an unfolding story, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many, many families and communities here and those waiting for the arrival of their loved ones. We send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to all those families, and the government will provide all the support that it can with those in India [and] those in this country as well. Fifty three British nationals were on board an Air India flight bound for Gatwick airport which crashed after take off in Ahmedabad, Air India said. The UK Foreign Office has said that the UK is working with local authorities in India to “urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved”. A spokesperson for India’s Ahmedabad airport has told the news wires that the airport is not currently operational and all flight operations have been temporarily suspended. Video footage circulating on social media purports to show the Air India flight AI171 crash: Here are a couple of images coming in via the newswires: Gatwick airport posted on X that it could confirm the Air India flight AI171, which had been due to arrive at 6.25pm in London, had crashed on departure from Ahmedabad airport. It added that more information would follow. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press (AP) that Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787, was carying 232 passengers and 12 crew members. Air India confirmed that its flight 171 from the western city of Ahmedabad to London Gatwick had crashed in a “tragic accident”. “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today,” Air India chair Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in a statement, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said, adding that an emergency centre has been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information. The London-bound flight took off from Ahmedabad at about 1.47 pm, slightly delayed from schedule. Officials say it crashed nine minutes after being given clearance for take off. India’s directorate general of civil aviation just gave this statement to Indian media: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8,200 hours of experience. The co-pilot had 1100 hours of flying experience. As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. 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. Flight tracker website, Flightradar24, has shared that initial ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance broadcast) data from the Air India flight AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet). It then started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute, it adds. India’s aviation minister has said he is “shocked and devastated” at the flight crash in Ahmedabad. “We are on the highest alert,” he added, with rescue teams mobilised. According to Reuters, the Indian aviation regulator said that the Air India aircraft fell after depature on ground outside the airport perimeter. Although there has not been an official number given of the number of passengers and crew on board the Air India flight AI171 yet, the Indian news agency Asian News International (ANI) and Reuters have cited a police source as saying that there are at least 242 passengers on board. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report. Air India have released a statement, reading: Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia). An aircraft has crashed in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, fire service officials have told Agence France-Presse (AFP), without giving immediate details of the plane or any toll. Thick plumes of black smoke were seen over the airport, an AFP reporter said. The Times of India reports that an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, bound for London, crashed shortly after take off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport. According to its report, the aircraft plunged into the Meghani area of the city, triggering an immediate emergency response. This is a breaking news story and we will bring you updates as they come in.
Author: Tom Ambrose (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier)