Air India Dreamliner Crashes Near Ahmedabad Airport, At Least 30 Confirmed Dead
An Air India Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed minutes after departing Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, heading to London Gatwick. The aircraft issued a mayday call but lost contact as it reached just 625 feet altitude. It plummeted into a building housing doctors, sparking a massive fireball and column of thick black smoke.
The flight included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian, with 217 adults and 11 children onboard. According to rescue teams, at least 30–35 bodies have been recovered so far, with many more likely trapped under debris.
Firefighters and medical teams acted swiftly, evacuating the damaged area and treating injured passengers and bystanders. Authorities have suspended all flights into Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed officials to "extend full support" for rescue operations, while the UK pledged cooperation and support for affected British nationals.
This marks the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the jetliner’s launch, and Air India’s first major hull loss (excluding its low-cost Express arm). Boeing stock plunged 6–8% in pre-market trading on Wall Street amid investor concerns.
The plane struck a doctor’s hostel located just beyond the airport boundary—a dense civilian area. Official investigations are pending by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air India’s inquiry teams. Rescue crews have cleared 70–80% of the impact zone, but recovery efforts remain in progress.
India’s last fatal crash occurred in August 2020, when an Air India Express Boeing 737 skidded off the runway at Kozhikode, killing 21. The Ahmedabad crash is now the country’s worst aviation disaster in recent years.
