Air India Crash: MAYDAY Call, Flight Details, and Nationalities Confirmed

Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed that the aircraft issued a MAYDAY call moments after departure but failed to respond to subsequent Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications.

According to DGCA, the aircraft departed from runway 23 at 13:39 IST and went down outside the airport perimeter, in the Meghani Nagar residential area. The airport is currently non-operational, with all flights suspended until further notice.

The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members (comprising two pilots and ten cabin crew). Air India has released the passenger nationality breakdown: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.

DGCA confirmed that the captain of the flight had over 8,200 hours of flying experience, while the co-pilot had logged 1,100 hours.

Rescue operations are underway, and the injured are being transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has dispatched officials to the site, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.

This tragic incident has prompted responses from senior Indian officials, including Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who is en route to the crash site.

More updates will follow as the situation develops.