Air India plane crash: AI-171 Capt Sumeet Sabharwal had 8,200 flying hours, co-pilot Clive Kundar had 1,100

An Air India flight bound for London with 242 people on board crashed at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon, according to the Gujarat State Police Control Room. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner registered as VT-ANB, was operating as flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. It took off from runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST (0809 UTC) and issued a MAYDAY call shortly after. The aircraft did not respond to further calls from air traffic control.

“Immediately after departure from Runway 23, the Aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” said a source in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Experienced pilots in command

The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience. First Officer Clive Kundar, who was assisting the captain, had 1,100 hours of flight experience. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, including the two pilots.

Air India issues statement

“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,” Air India posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Authorities are continuing rescue and investigation efforts at the crash site.