A difficult day for all of us: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on flight crash

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on Thursday has issued an official statement following the tragic accident involving Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, confirming that the Boeing 787-8 aircraft was involved in an accident shortly after take-off. The airline conveyed its deep sorrow over the incident and emphasized that its immediate priority is the well-being of passengers, crew members, and their families.

Campbell Wilson said," This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India, and our efforts now are focussed entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones. I know that there are many questions, and at this stage, I won’t be able to answer all of them."

Message from Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India. pic.twitter.com/19MiwtkwAI
Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025

"I do want to share the information we have at this time. Air India flight AI 171, operating with a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, travelling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick has been involved in an accident after take-off. Flight AI171 was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard the aircraft. Of the passengers, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured passengers have been taken by local authorities to the nearest hospitals."

"We are actively working with the authorities on emergency response efforts. A special team of caregivers from Air India will soon be on their way to Ahmedabad to provide additional support," Campbell further said.

"The investigations will take time, and anything we can do now, we are doing. We know that many people are concerned for the welfare of their loved ones." "We have set up a special helpline that friends and family can reach us at. The number is 1800-56-91-444. That’s 1800-56-91-444. We understand that people are eager for information."

"Please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can. But anything we report must be accurate and not speculative. We owe that to everyone involved. For now, our teams are working around the clock to support passengers, crew and their families, as well as investigators, however we can," Campbell concluded.

The London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing aircraft crashed in the Meghaninagar area near the Ahmedabad International Airport around 2 pm.