NEW DELHI: A "Mayday" distress call was issued by Air India's AI 171 flight, minutes before it crashed after takeoff from Gujarat's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday (June 12).
The London-bound aircraft, however, did not receive any response from the Air Traffic Control (ATC), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
A "Mayday" call is an emergency procedure used internationally as a distress signal through radio communications; it signals a life-threatening emergency.
There was no immediate information on the casualties caused by the crash.
According to DGCA, the flight, a Boeing 787, took off from the airport's runway 23 at 1.39pm. It had 242 people on board - two pilots, 10 cabin crew members and 230 passengers.
A 17-second video shows the aircraft crashing into a residential area, shortly after it departed for London Gatwick Airport. Visuals showed thick black smoke rising up into the sky from the airport.
"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)," Air India said on X, without providing further details.
Meanwhile, horrific visuals from the plane crash site have surfaced on news portals as details emerge.
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The flight was going to London. It went down between 1pm and 2pm.
The airline in a statement said flight No. AI 171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today. Horrific visuals have emerged from the crash site.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he is personally monitoring the situation and directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.- Agencies
