Ahmedabad plane crash: List of deadliest air tragedies in India over the years

Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed on June 12 near Ahmedabad airport. The Boeing 787 aircraft had 242 passengers onboard.

Air India flight AI-171, carrying over 240 passengers from Ahmedabad to London, crashed tragically near the airport on June 12, potentially killing several onboard.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787 dreamliner that had 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a residential area near Meghani Nagar in Gujarat, Air India said in a statement on X.

The aircraft crashed 5 minutes after it took off at 01:38 pm, the airline said.

“Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia),” an Air India spokesperson said.

The number of casualties has not been confirmed yet. However, considering the number of passengers onboard, this tragedy could turnout to be one of the deadliest crashes in global aviation history.

This mid-air collision has been the world’s deadliest and the worst-ever aviation incident in India’s history. A Boeing 747 Saudia Flight 763 from Delhi to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia and a Delhi-bound Kazakhstan Airlines flight 1907 from Chimkent in Kazakhstan crashed mid-air over Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. The crash led to the death of all the 349 people onboard the two planes.

The major reason for the crash was Kazakh crew failing to maintain the required altitude.

An Air India flight 855 from Mumbai to Dubai crashed into the Arabian Sea on January 1, 1978, just 3 km away from the coast of Bandra. The Boeing 747 flight had 213 passengers and crew members, who all died in the incident. The investigation into the crash found that the likely cause was the pilot becoming “spatially disoriented” that led to him losing the control of the aircraft.

Indian Airlines Flight 113 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad that crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad Airport on 19 October 1988, killing 133 of the 135 people on board.

An Indian Airlines Flight 171 met with an accident during an attempt for an emergency landing at the Mumbai international Airport on October 12, 1976 because of an engine failure. The incident killed all 95 people on board.

Air India's Flight 182 operating on Montreal-London-Delhi-Mumbai route suffered a major terrorist attack as Canadian Sikh extremists-planted bomb exploded mid-air, leading to the disintegration of the aircraft over Atlantic Ocean and the death of all the 329 passengers and crew members onboard.  The aircraft was another Boeing 747-237B plane.

Air India Express flight 1344 from Dubai to Kozhikode crashed on August 7, 2020 while landing at the Calicut international airport, leading to the death of 19 passengers. The aircraft, during its third attempt, skidded at the end of the runway amid heavy rain and tailwind.

Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai to Mangalore, carrying 166 passengers, crashed on May 22, 2010. The Boeing 737-800's crash during landing led to the death of 158 flyers.