𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟕𝟖𝟕 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

June 12, 2025 — In a devastating aviation tragedy, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff this afternoon, killing an estimated 230 to 242 people on board. The exact number of fatalities has yet to be confirmed.

Pic: from Google

The aircraft lost radio contact shortly after departing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at approximately 1:38 PM IST. At the time of last communication, it was flying at an altitude of roughly 600 to 700 feet before going down in the Meghani Nagar neighbourhood, located near the airport.

According to Air India, the flight was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese passengers. The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as co-pilot. A total of 12 crew members, including 10 cabin crew, were onboard.

In a public statement, Air India confirmed the tragic incident and announced the activation of a family support centre to assist the relatives of the passengers and crew. The airline expressed its deep sorrow over the loss of life and stated that it is working closely with local authorities to manage the aftermath of the crash.

All flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended until further notice.

Emergency services, including fire and rescue teams, were immediately deployed to the crash site. The cause of the accident is still under investigation by aviation authorities and officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

This is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian aviation history. More information will be released as the investigation unfolds.

–aviationinnepal