Air India Flight AI171 Crashes Shortly After Takeoff
A Boeing 787 passenger aircraft operated by Air India, carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12 (local time) while en route from Ahmedabad, India to London Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom.
Immediately after the accident, Air India issued a statement confirming, "Flight AI171 has been involved in an accident," and added, "We are currently investigating the details." According to India's ANI news agency, a total of 242 people, including passengers and crew, were on board the aircraft. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding survivors or fatalities. While the official casualty count has not yet been released, Sputnik News, citing local media outlet Times Now, reported that at least 110 people have died. It has been reported that there were no Korean nationals on board the aircraft.
According to videos shared on social media, the aircraft lowered its landing gear and gradually lost altitude immediately after takeoff before crashing into a residential area, where it was engulfed in a massive fire. The aircraft tracking site Flightradar24 reported that at the time of the accident, the plane was flying at an altitude of 625 feet and a speed of 174 knots (approximately 322 km/h).
Following the accident, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad was closed, and London Gatwick Airport in the UK stated that the aircraft was scheduled to arrive at 6:25 p.m. Air India has operated the Gatwick route since 2023 and currently serves four routes including Ahmedabad.
Bloomberg News reported that this accident, together with a series of recent civil aviation incidents?including a mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a civilian aircraft over Washington, United States earlier this year?has heightened concerns about safety in the aviation industry.
Air India is currently expanding its fleet and undertaking aircraft refurbishment, and is conducting a large-scale fleet replacement to respond to increasing air travel demand driven by the expanding middle class. Air India operates 34 Boeing 787 aircraft, with aircraft ages ranging from 2 to 14 years. The aircraft involved in this accident, registered as VT-ANB, was approximately 12 years old and equipped with two General Electric (GE) GEnx engines.
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