At least 241 people died when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area just after takeoff from Ahmedabad. One person survived.
The numbers are staggering. Devastating. Air India Flight 171 was carrying 242 people – 230 passengers and 12 crew. Only one made it out alive.
The sole survivor, a British national originally from India, was rushed to a local hospital. The plane was headed to London Gatwick when everything went wrong.
Video footage shows the jetliner descending rapidly. Then a fireball. A dark plume of smoke. It’s the first fatal crash of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner – a model that’s been flying for over a decade.
Flight tracking data tells the story in cold numbers. The signal vanished at 1:38 p.m. local time. Less than a minute after takeoff. The plane reached just 625 feet before plummeting at 475 feet per minute.
“This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India,” CEO Campbell Wilson said in a video message. His words feel inadequate against the scale of loss.
The casualties extend beyond the aircraft. Local police report approximately 294 total deaths. The plane slammed into a building housing students. “This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying,” state police officer Vidhi Chaudhary told Reuters.
Passengers came from multiple countries. 169 Indians. 53 British nationals. Seven Portuguese. One Canadian. Each number represents families now grieving.
The 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 had logged 41,000 flight hours across nearly 8,000 takeoffs. Normal wear for an aircraft its age. The plane was delivered to Air India in 2014, powered by two GE Aerospace engines.
Why did it crash? Nobody knows yet. Investigations take months, sometimes years. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to India. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg canceled his Paris Air Show plans to focus on the crisis.
“We understand people are eager for information,” Wilson said. But answers won’t come quickly.
The timing adds another layer of complexity. The crash happened just before the high-profile Paris Air Show, where Boeing was set to announce major aircraft orders. Instead, the company faces fresh scrutiny over its safety record.
Boeing has spent years trying to rebuild trust after safety and quality crises. Thursday’s crash doesn’t help. Boeing shares dropped nearly 5%.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew,” Ortberg said. He spoke with Air India’s chairman, offering Boeing’s full support for the investigation.
GE Aerospace also postponed its investor day scheduled for next week. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those impacted,” a company spokesperson said.
Airport operations resumed hours after the crash. Flights at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were temporarily suspended, then restarted.
“A thorough investigation will be conducted. No stone will be left unturned,” said India’s aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.
The investigation will follow Annex 13 protocols to ensure thoroughness. But for the families affected, protocol offers little comfort.
Air India has been modernizing its fleet in recent years. Upgrading cabins. Investing heavily in new aircraft. This crash represents a massive setback for those efforts.
The sole survivor remains hospitalized. Their condition wasn’t immediately released. In a tragedy of this magnitude, one life saved feels both miraculous and heartbreaking. 241 others weren’t so fortunate.
