Ahmedabad: Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, traveled to the crash location of flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Friday.
The catastrophic incident involving the Boeing 787-8 aircraft resulted in 241 fatalities from the 242 individuals aboard Air India flight 171, which included 12 crew members, as confirmed by Air India in an official statement released after midnight Friday.
“The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, in service for 12 years, took off from Ahmedabad at 1338 Hours with 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard. The plane went down moments after takeoff. We deeply regret to announce that among the 242 people aboard, 241 deaths have been confirmed. One survivor is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital,” Air India announced on X.
The flight was scheduled to travel from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, transporting 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian citizen.
The passenger aircraft went down near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, striking a residential doctors’ hostel structure moments after departure on Thursday. Against all odds, one individual survived the tragic accident, according to airline officials, who noted the survivor was a British citizen of Indian heritage.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated an official inquiry into the fatal crash of Air India flight 171 that claimed 241 lives, as announced by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday.
The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, serving as a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flight experience, alongside First Officer Clive Kundar, who had accumulated 1,100 flight hours.
Based on Air Traffic Control (ATC) records, the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) using runway 23. The plane transmitted a Mayday distress signal to ATC, but subsequently failed to respond to further communication attempts from air traffic controllers.
Shortly after leaving Runway 23, the aircraft impacted the ground beyond the airport boundaries. Officials reported that thick black smoke was visible rising from the crash location.
The Tata Group has declared compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family members of each individual who perished in the accident.