A London-bound Air India plane crashed only moments after take off in Ahmedabad, India.

10:38, Thu, Jun 12, 2025 | UPDATED: 11:35, Thu, Jun 12, 2025

Plane crashes in western India's Gujarat after takeoff

The plane crashed as soon as it left the airport (Image: X)

The shocking moment an Air India flight fell from the sky has been shared in terrifying footage. Just seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, the London Gatwick bound  plane plummeted to the ground.

There have been conflicting reports on the number of passengers the plane was carrying when it crashed; however, police have said at least 242 people were on board. A witness filmed the plane get excruciatingly closer to street level before a blazing eruption of the crash explosion emerged above rooftops in the distance. Silenced by the scale of what he was watching, X user Shakuni Mama took to the social media platform to share the disaster as he saw it. 

The Express understands that the last words heard over the radio during a Mayday call that Air Traffic Control did not have time to respond to was "engine failure". The flight crashed seconds later,

The airline said 169 passengers are Indian nationals, 53 are British, one is Canadian and seven are Portuguese. The Reuters news agency reported that 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.

Many are sharing their sadness on social media. Users on X (formerly Twitter) have said: "Devastating. Prayers and strength to the families." Another said: "Sending thoughts to all those affected by this tragic incident. Some events transcend politics and remind us of our shared humanity."

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Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in a statement: "With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 171 operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all affected by this devastating event.

"At this moment our primary focus is on supporting all the affexcted people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.

"Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support teams have been set up for families seeking information."