Ahmedabad plane crash: 7 Portuguese, 53 British, 169 Indian passport holders onboard

An Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed during take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred around 1:38 pm IST , just moments after the aircraft began its ascent.

Breakdown of passengers

The aircraft was carrying a total of 242 individuals, including passengers and crew members. As per official sources, the nationalities on board were:

169 Indian nationals

53 British passport holders

7 Portuguese nationals

1 Canadian passport holder

The flight had departed at 13.38 hrs IST and was en route to London when it met with the tragic accident. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) reported that the aircraft took off from Runway 23, but within two minutes, a MAYDAY call was received. However, there was no further communication from the cockpit thereafter.

Crash details

Preliminary reports suggest that the rear portion of the aircraft struck a tree, causing the aircraft to lose control and crash outside the airport perimeter. The aircraft reportedly struck a nearby structure on impact, followed by thick black smoke rising from the crash site.

Emergency response teams, including fire and rescue services, were quickly dispatched to the scene. Several passengers and crew members have been reported injured, although the exact number and extent of injuries are still being verified.

ATC’s initial statement read: “The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY call to ATC, but thereafter no response was received. The aircraft crashed immediately after departure and fell to the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was observed at the accident site.”

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India officials have initiated a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.

List of passengers