Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have shared helpline numbers for assistance after the tragic crash of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The plane crashed minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad Airport.
Shortly after the crash, Air India gave a statement about the crash and informed the public of the helpline numbers. "We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information," the airlines said in an X post.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation also said that it has activated an operational control room. "In light of the AI171 crash, an Operational Control Room has been activated at the Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate all details. Contact: 011-24610843 | 9650391859. We are committed to swift response and full support to all affected," the Ministry said.
Ahmedabad City Police has also issued an emergency number. The police has requested the people to dial 07925620359 for police emergency services and information regarding the Ahmedabad plane crash.
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad
DGCA has confirmed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was flying the plane that crashed in Ahmedabad, minutes after takeoff. Meanwhile, First Officer Clive Kundar was reportedly the co-pilot on the plane.
"Capt Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience. As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23," DGCA said in a statement.
"Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute," Flightradar24 said in a post.
Shortly after the crash, Air India, on its official X handle, confirmed the tragic news. "Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025," the airline said.
DGCA also confirmed that the pilots had sent out a Mayday call to the ATC but the ATC was unable to establish contact with the plane after that.
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