Air India

Major Incident: Flight AI171 Crash in Ahmedabad

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner departing Ahmedabad for London Gatwick, crashed mere minutes after takeoff in the Meghani Nagar residential suburb en.wikipedia.org+7apnews.com+7elpais.com+7 aljazeera.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15indiatimes.com+15. It carried 242 people (230 passengers, 12 crew): 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian elpais.com+10en.wikipedia.org+10businessinsider.com+10.

The aircraft climbed only to around 625 ft before contact was lost, and a Mayday call was made but reportedly not answered by ATC businessinsider.com+6en.wikipedia.org+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6.
It struck a medical hostel, erupted into a fireball, and produced plumes of thick smoke youtube.com+8elpais.com+8thetimes.co.uk+8.
Emergency personnel—including NDRF, fire departments, and hospitals—were immediately deployed, and a green corridor was established to aid the injured people.com+4thesun.co.uk+4timesofindia.indiatimes.com+4.

Initial reports confirm at least 30 bodies recovered, with 133 fatalities ultimately confirmed news.com.au+4en.wikipedia.org+4elpais.com+4.
This marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 since its debut and the most serious Air India hull loss since 1985 people.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15businessinsider.com+15.
The DGCA, AAIB, and Boeing are actively investigating the cause, with particular focus on ATC communications and takeoff procedures en.wikipedia.org+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.

Air India, Prime Minister Modi, and UK officials (PM Starmer, Foreign Secretary Lammy) have expressed condolences; a dedicated emergency helpline is operational news.com.au+1thetimes.co.uk+1.
Due to the incident, Ahmedabad flights were temporarily suspended, and Air India issued fee waivers for rescheduling or cancellations of impacted flights till June 14 airindia.com.

The “Maharaja Club” loyalty program continues to offer new benefits in the USA, UK, and EU, along with extended self‑check-in & baggage dropouts airindia.com+4airindia.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4.
Expanded route operations include increased frequencies to Kathmandu, Colombo, Bangkok, and are set to begin non-stop Delhi–Manila flights from October 1 airindia.com.
Codeshare partnerships with IcelandAir and four additional airlines improve connectivity to Europe and Central Asia airindia.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
Notably, Wi‑Fi is now available mid‑flight on A350s, A321neo, and 787‑9 aircraft, making Air India the first Indian airline to offer complimentary onboard internet apnews.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3.

If your travel involves Air India, especially via Delhi–Islamabad or international destinations:

Flight schedules and live status tracking are available on Air India’s official website yatra.com.
After the Ahmedabad crash, rescheduling or cancellation is fee-free for flights through June 14 .
With Pakistani airspace reopening in early May, most routes (e.g., Delhi–Islamabad) are restored, but indirect routes may still experience diversions — keep an eye on airline notices .

Immediate focus: casualty management, crash investigation, and safety protocol review.
Travelers: stay updated via official flight status tools and take advantage of Air India’s fee waivers if affected.
Regular operations: fleet enhancements and network expansion continue as planned, including major in‑flight upgrades and route growth.