Gatwick Airport has shared its first update following the devastating plane crash involving an aircraft heading for the airport. The Air India flight departed from Ahmedabad airport before crashing shortly after taking with more than 240 people onboard
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft reportedly 244 people onboard, 53 of which were British nationals. The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of India’s directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press that there were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard. Responding to the crash, a London Gatwick spokesperson told MyLondon: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today [Thursday, June 12] was due to land at London Gatwick at 6.25pm.”
READ MORE: How often do plane crashes happen after Gatwick-bound Air India tragedy?
When asked if any aircraft at the airport are being grounded for safety checks, a source from the airport said that they were not currently aware of operations at the airport south of London being altered in response to the crash, and that more information was due to follow over the day.
Gatwick sets up reception centre for relatives
In an update, Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers. In a statement posted on social media, it said: “London Gatwick is liaising closely with Air India and a reception centre for relatives of those on board is being set up where information and support will be provided. British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call 020 7008 5000.
“Air India have set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Our thoughts are with family and friends of those on board.”
Mr Kidwai said the crash happened in the Meghani Nagar area at 1.38pm local time (9.08am BST). The plane reportedly rose over 400ft before crashing into the built up area. Emergency teams have been activated at Ahmedabad airport. This is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
A spokesperson for Air India said: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, June 12 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.”
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 posted on social media platform X: “We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC (shortly before 9.09am BST), just seconds after take off. The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.”
It added that the signal from the aircraft was lost ‘less than a minute after take-off’. MyLondon has approached Heathrow Airport for information on how its operations may be affected following the crash.
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