An Air India flight heading to London Gatwick crashed in Ahmedabad, western India shortly after take-off with 242 people on board, as reported by the country's aviation regulator.

According to police in Gujarat state, the crash occurred within 10 minutes of the plane taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The Indian aviation regulator mentioned that the aircraft made a mayday call to air traffic control but did not respond to subsequent calls.

There were a total of 242 individuals on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. The aircraft fell outside the airport perimeter immediately after departure, and heavy black smoke was observed at the accident site.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that had been in service for over 10 years, according to Flightradar24.

Following the incident, the airport was closed. Gatwick airport confirmed that the flight, AI171, which crashed after departing from Ahmedabad Airport, was scheduled to arrive at London Gatwick at 18:25.

Tata, the company that acquired the airline from state control in 2022, released a statement from Air India's chair N Chandrasekaran expressing deep sorrow over the tragic accident involving Flight 171.

In 2023, Air India announced a major modernization plan in partnership with Boeing and Airbus to purchase 470 new aircraft, marking one of the largest orders in aviation history. Campbell Wilson, the airline's chief executive, described the modernization plan as the most significant aviation turnaround he had ever witnessed.