Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 bound for London Gatwick, crashes after take-off from Ahmedabad
On 12 June 2025 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 operating Ahmedabad–London Gatwick with 230 passengers and 12 crew, crashed shortly after take-off.
Summary
Air India flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, crashed shortly after take-off. Air India said the 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 departed Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew; the passengers comprised 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian nationals. Air India later said that of the 242 aboard there were 241 confirmed fatalities, and that the sole survivor, a British national of Indian origin, was being treated in hospital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the crash site, reviewed relief and rescue operations with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and met the injured survivor; he said DNA testing would be completed jointly by Gujarat's Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) before bodies were handed over. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) began its investigation the same day.
Key facts
- Flight
- AI171, Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, 12 June 2025
- Aircraft
- Boeing 787-8, 12 years old; departed 1338 hrs
- On board
- 230 passengers + 12 crew = 242
- Passengers
- 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian
- Investigation
- AAIB began investigation on 12 June 2025
- DNA testing
- Gujarat FSL and NFSU jointly
Practice MCQs 4 questions
Air India flight AI171, which crashed after take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, was operated with which aircraft type?
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Correct answer: B — Boeing 787-8
Air India statement (also ThePrint/PTI, Aviation Week): AI171 was a 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 that departed Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs.
What was the destination of Air India flight AI171 that crashed after take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025?
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Correct answer: D — London Gatwick
Air India statement (also ThePrint/PTI, Aviation Week): flight AI171 was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.
Consider the following statements about those on board Air India flight AI171 on 12 June 2025: 1. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. 2. Portuguese nationals formed the largest group of foreign passengers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Air India statement and Amit Shah (PIB): 230 passengers and 12 crew, so 1 is correct. Air India: passengers were 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian, so British nationals (53), not Portuguese (7), were the largest foreign group and 2 is wrong. So the answer is 1 only.
Which body began the investigation into the Air India AI171 crash on 12 June 2025?
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Correct answer: C — Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
PIB (Ministry of Civil Aviation briefing, 14 June 2025): the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) began its investigation on 12 June 2025, the day of the crash.