Air India Flight from Ahmedabad to London Crashes; Former CM Vijay Rupani Among 242 Onboard

Ahmedabad, June 12:
Air India flight AI-171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, met with a serious accident just moments after takeoff on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, carrying 242 passengers—including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani—crashed shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The flight took off at 1:39 PM from Runway 23, but within seconds, the tail of the aircraft struck a tree on the airport’s perimeter, causing the plane to lose control and crash to the ground. Before the crash, the pilot reportedly issued a ‘MAYDAY’ distress call to Air Traffic Control, but contact was lost immediately after.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the crash site, and the aircraft caught fire. Multiple fire engines and medical emergency teams rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations. The airport has been temporarily shut down, with all other flights suspended.

The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who has logged 1,100 hours. Ten additional crew members were also on board.

Three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Gandhinagar and Vadodara have been dispatched to the site. The crash area has been sealed off, and evacuation of passengers is underway on a priority basis.

Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran confirmed the incident and expressed deep sorrow. “Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected. An Emergency Response Centre has been activated,” he said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sent a special investigation team to examine the crash.

Upon receiving news of the accident, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu left a scheduled event in Vijayawada and flew directly to Ahmedabad. He visited the site to review the relief operations and held briefings with officials from the airport authority, DGCA, AAI, and NDRF.

As of now, the status of former CM Vijay Rupani remains unclear. No official confirmation has been issued regarding his safety. Authorities are investigating all aspects of the incident thoroughly.