Air India plane crash: Air India says Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight 'involved in an incident'; gathering more details

NEW DELHI: Air India on Thursday said that Flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was "involved in an incident". The airline stated it is currently gathering details and will provide updates soon."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," an Air India spokesperson said in a post on X.The flight, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner capable of carrying over 200 passengers. Visuals on social media showed thick black smoke over the Ahmedabad airport."Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from (Ahmedabad to Gatwick) has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. "There were 242 people on board, including two pilots and ten cabin crew members. The flight was commanded by Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as co-pilot," DGCA added.In response to the incident, the DGCA confirmed that three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising around 90 personnel were deployed from Gandhinagar to the crash site.Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport flight operations have been temporarily non-operational, and all flights are halted until further notice.