Air India plane to London crashes after take off, 242 on board

An Air India passenger plane bound for London with 242 people onboard has crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad, the airline and local media reported.

The airline said the flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew overall. Indian officials had previously said 244 were on board.

Of those, Air India said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

Visuals on local television channels showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of more than 5 million.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1.38pm local time.

Gatwick posted on X that it could confirm the flight, which had been due to arrive at 6.25pm in London, had crashed on departure.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site.

"We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation," he said.

The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

The aircraft was introduced in 2009, and more than 1000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website.

Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said at the moment, "our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families".

He said on X that the airline had set up an emergency centre and support team for families seeking information about those who were on the flight.

"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event," he said.