Ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani on Air India flight that crashed
12 Jun 2025

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is among the passengers of an Air India flight that crashed near Ahmedabad on Thursday, multiple news channels reported.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was headed to London, met with an accident shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The aircraft was carrying 242 people, including 232 passengers and 10 crew members.

Air India confirmed the incident in an official statement
Official confirmation

Air India confirmed the incident in an official statement.

"Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest," it said.

Visuals from nearby areas showed thick black smoke rising into the air.

The flight took off at 1:10pm from Ahmedabad and was scheduled to land at London's Gatwick Airport, but it crashed around five minutes after takeoff.

Air India's chairman's statement
Profile

Flightradar24, a tracking website, said it received the last signal from the aircraft "just seconds after takeoff" at 625 feet (190m).

Confirming the crash, Air India's chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, in a statement on X, said, "It is 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," he says.