London [UK], June 12 : UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has expressed sadness over the plane crash in Ahmedabad and said that Britain is working with local authorities in India to establish the facts and provide support. Lammy stated that his thoughts were with those affected by the plane crash.
The Air India flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. The flight en route from Ahmedabad to London.
In a statement shared on X, Lammy stated, "Deeply saddened by news of a devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. My thoughts are with all those affected. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support."
https://x.com/DavidLammy/status/1933105921569263926
Earlier, UK PM Keir Starmer said that the scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals in Ahmedabad are "devastating." He stated that he is being updated as the situation develops.
"The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time," Starmer posted on X.
https://x.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1933108640002588855
According to an Air India statement, the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171, departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm IST with 242 people on board, including crew.
"The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information," the airline said in a statement.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that a team has been rushed to the spot for investigation. "On 12th Jun, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew," said a senior DGCA official.
The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an LTC with 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience, the official said.
As per Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Runway 23 at 1339 IST (0809 UTC). It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC.
"Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site," the official added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and Home Minister Amit Shah and took stock of the crash incident. The Civil Aviation Minister informed the Prime Minister that he was rushing to Ahmedabad to oversee rescue and relief operations on the ground, the Civil Aviation Ministry said. PM Modi has directed the Minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation, they said.