Tragedy struck India’s skies on Thursday morning when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Authorities and rescue teams raced to the site of the wreckage, which scattered across the grounds of a nearby medical college.
The flight, designated AI171, was headed to London with 242 people aboard — 169 Indian citizens, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian, along with 10 cabin crew members and two pilots. The sole survivor was identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national from Leicester. Officials confirmed that Ramesh is receiving treatment at a hospital, with India’s Home Minister Amit Shah saying he had personally met with him.
“We received the good news that one passenger survived,” Shah said. “I have personally met this survivor.”
Footage shared on social media showed Ramesh walking, dazed, away from the wreckage. His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told the BBC, “He has no idea how he survived.”
The crash occurred just minutes after takeoff, with data from Flightradar24 indicating the aircraft only reached an altitude of 625 feet before disappearing from radar. It ultimately crashed into a dining facility at a local medical college, killing at least five students who were on campus at the time, according to Minakshi Parikh, the college’s dean.
Aviation authorities said a mayday call had been made, but no further communication was received from the pilots. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that one of the two black boxes — crucial for determining the cause of the crash — had been recovered.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, was first delivered to Air India in 2014. It had flown earlier that day from New Delhi and had completed recent flights to international destinations including Paris, Melbourne, Frankfurt, and Tokyo.
Thursday’s crash marks the first total loss of a Boeing 787 since the aircraft’s introduction in 2011 — and its first fatal crash. The incident sent Boeing’s stock tumbling nearly 5%, closing the day at $203.75. Analysts from Morgan Stanley said the crash “derails the positive momentum on Boeing’s stock,” which had been up about 25% earlier in the year.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed condolences and said the company was standing by to assist with investigations. “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” Ortberg said.
Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, issued a video statement vowing full support for families and authorities. “We understand the public wants answers,” he said, “but anything we report must be accurate and not speculative. We owe that to everyone involved.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected.”
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and British accident investigators announced they were sending teams to India to assist. Meanwhile, experts are analyzing early clues from photos suggesting that the aircraft’s landing gear may not have retracted. “If the gear was still down, then that would suggest that something is untoward,” said Alastair Rosenschen, a former British Airways pilot.
Aviation law expert Alan Tan noted the incident could be the “costliest insurance claim in Indian aviation history.” He added that compensation for the five victims on the ground would be handled under Indian domestic law, as India is not a party to international conventions protecting ground victims.
For the families of those who perished on board, compensation would likely be governed by the Montreal Convention of 1999, which holds airlines responsible for passenger deaths or injuries.
Air India, which has been undergoing a massive transformation since the Tata Group took control in 2022, now faces a renewed crisis. Just last year, the airline placed a record-breaking order for 470 new aircraft. Rebuilding public trust will be a steep climb.
“This crash has shaken confidence,” said Tan, “but as history has shown, transparency and accountability can help airlines weather such tragedies.”
For now, investigators continue their work as the world watches, hoping for clarity — and some measure of justice for the 241 lives lost.