London-Bound Air India Flight with 242 Onboard Crashes After Takeoff in Ahmedabad

By Sherman Calotes | Philippine People's Press 

NEW DELHI, INDIA — A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 individuals including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew crashed just minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, Indian authorities confirmed.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as VT-ANB, was en route to Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom when it issued a distress “Mayday” call shortly after departure at 1:39 p.m. local time (0809 GMT). According to air traffic control at the Ahmedabad airport, communication was lost moments later.

Local police reported that the aircraft went down in a civilian area not far from the airport's perimeter. The crash site was soon engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke visible for kilometers. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, with several injured individuals seen being carried on stretchers and transported via ambulances, as shown in footage aired by Indian TV stations.

"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India stated via its official account on X (formerly Twitter). The airline did not immediately provide information on possible fatalities or the condition of survivors.

Aviation tracking platform Flightradar24 confirmed the aircraft type and tail number, noting that its last signal was received seconds after departure. Visuals aired by local channels depicted the aircraft gaining altitude over residential rooftops before vanishing from view, followed by an explosive fireball erupting behind houses near the crash site.

The U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is considered one of the world’s most advanced wide-body passenger jets, known for fuel efficiency and long-range capability.

This tragedy marks the worst aviation incident involving Air India since 2020, when an Air India Express flight skidded off a "tabletop" runway at Kozhikode International Airport, killing 21 people. That aircraft, a Boeing 737, broke apart after falling into a ravine upon landing.

As of this writing, Ahmedabad Airport has been temporarily closed to allow emergency operations and investigation procedures. Authorities from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and aviation safety bodies are currently conducting a probe into the cause of the crash.

(This report was compiled from information provided by Reuters correspondents Tanvi Mehta, Aditi Shah, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, and Shivam Patel, with writing by Sakshi Dayal and Y.P. Rajesh. Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan.)

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