On June 12, 2025, at approximately 1:38 PM IST, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick. Just minutes into the flight, the aircraft reached an altitude of 625 ft, issued a Mayday distress call, and immediately crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, striking the doctors’ hostel at B.J. Medical College, causing a massive fireball and explosion.
There were 242 people on board—230 passengers and 12 crew members, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. Tragically, 204 bodies have been recovered so far—most of them badly charred. Some were recovered from inside the aircraft, others from the hostel. DNA testing is being used to identify the deceased.
At least 5 people on the ground, including medical students in the hostel, also lost their lives.
Amazingly, one British passenger in seat 11A survived the crash by escaping through an emergency exit. Although severely injured, they are currently being treated. Several others from nearby buildings and the hostel were also injured and are hospitalized.
This incident marks the first-ever fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft considered among the safest since its introduction in 2011.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India, with support from the US NTSB, Boeing, and GE Aerospace, is conducting a thorough investigation. Preliminary concerns include possible engine thrust failure or landing gear malfunction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “heartbreaking beyond words” and dispatched NDRF, police, and fire services for rescue operations. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III also offered condolences and support to the victims’ families.
Ahmedabad airport briefly suspended operations but has since resumed limited services. Boeing’s stock has fallen 7–9% in response to the crash, raising concerns over Dreamliner safety.
This is India’s worst aviation disaster in over a decade, and one of the deadliest incidents involving an Indian airline since 2020.
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