An Air India plane crash shocked India on Thursday after a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after takeoff. The aircraft, bound for Gatwick Airport in London, crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. There were more than 240 people on board when the tragic incident occurred.
The plane had just taken off from runway 23 at 1:39 PM local time. Moments later, it sent a distress signal — a “Mayday” call. But after that, all communication was lost. The flight, operated by Air India, disappeared from radar just seconds into its journey, according to Flightradar24.
Police reported that the aircraft went down in a civilian area, close to the airport. Air India confirmed the plane crash in a post on X (formerly Twitter), but gave no immediate details on casualties. “We are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” the airline stated.
Television footage showed a horrifying scene. Flames and black smoke billowed into the sky from what appeared to be a residential area. The plane vanished from view in mid-air before a massive fireball rose behind the houses. Debris scattered near the airport was seen burning. Emergency services rushed to the site. Ambulances were spotted carrying people on stretchers.
According to ANI, 242 people were aboard — a mix of passengers and crew. However, CNN News18 gave a slightly different count: 220 passengers and 12 crew members.
The aircraft involved in this Air India tragedy bore the registration number VT-ANB. It was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most advanced aircraft in global aviation. Boeing has not released any statement regarding this incident as of yet.
This aviation disaster has had financial consequences too. In the U.S., Boeing shares dropped by 7.8% in premarket trading. Investors reacted sharply to the crash of the Dreamliner, though the exact cause remains unknown.
This is not the first aviation accident involving Air India. In 2020, an Air India Express flight overshot the runway at Kozhikode International Airport. That crash killed 21 people when the Boeing 737 plunged into a valley.
As investigations begin into this most recent air tragedy, questions swirl around what went wrong just minutes after takeoff.
