An Air India plane travelling towards the UK has crashed minutes after take off – here’s all we know so far
Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick Airport crashed earlier today with 242 people onboard.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which took off at 1.39pm local time and was scheduled to arrive at Gatwick at 6.25pm BST, gave a mayday call just minutes after take-off, according to India’s aviation regulation.
Flightradar24 said the signal was lost seconds after the flight departed when the plane had reached a height of 625ft. It is believed the flight crashed into a nearby doctors’ hostel in Meghani Nagar around five minutes after taking off, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told AP.
READ MORE: ’11 children’ were on Air India flight AI171 during crash
Emergency Services rushed to the scene, and are still carrying out recue operations it is reported.
Who was on the flight?
Out of the 242 people on the plane, Air India confirmed there were 169 Indian nationals onboard, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.
The airline added those who had been injured were taken to hospitals nearby for treatment.
How have Air India reacted?
Air India’s chairman said on X: “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”
He added: “Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information.
“An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information.”
Who was the pilot?
Sumeet Sabharwal has been named as the captain of the plane, with Clive Kundar identified as his co-pilot. Combined the two pilots had 9,300 hours of flying experience.
Ten crew members were also believed to be on the plane.
READ MORE: Air India crash update with ‘at least 60 bodies’ recovered from site so far
Recent reports have claimed 11 children were onboard, alongside 217 adults Reuters said.
How many have died?
A local newspaper, The New Indian Express, has alleged at least 60 bodies have been recovered so far, but this has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
What caused the plane crash?
Why the plane has crashed has not been answered at this current moment, but it is believed to be under investigation.
A number of officials have spoken out regarding the crash, including Sir Keir Starmer, who said his “thoughts” were with those impacted.
