New Delhi, June 12: A tragic aviation disaster struck on Thursday as Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off, with 242 people on board, including passengers and crew. Among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen, confirmed an airline official.

The flight departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m., piloted by Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned aviator with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. The aircraft issued a Mayday call shortly after takeoff but lost all further contact, eventually crashing outside the airport boundary, according to DGCA.

This marks the first major crash since Air India’s privatisation in January 2022. In mourning, the Tata Group-managed airline changed its official X (formerly Twitter) profile photo to black.

Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed deep sorrow, offering condolences to the families and promising full support for those impacted. “We are working with emergency teams and assisting families,” he stated.

An emergency response centre has been activated, and a helpline (1800 5691 444) has been set up for passenger information.

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