Update: Boeing 787 Headed to London from India Crashes With 242 on Board

More than 200 bodies have been recovered at the crash site of a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India that was bound for London, according to police officials.

Flight AI171 crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad in the worst disaster involving the US planemaker’s most advanced twin-aisle aircraft. Officials didn’t immediately say how many of those people were passengers, crew or area residents.

The flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew, most of whom were Indian and British nationals. Video footage shared on social media showed a giant plume of smoke engulfing the crash site. The jet crashed into a dining hall at a medical school as students were eating lunch. Images also showed the aircraft’s tail wedged into a damaged building and fire crews hosing down blackened rubble.

“We have found 204 bodies, we are looking for more bodies,” Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told Bloomberg. “There is a chance that there may be survivors. 41 injured are being treated. These include people who were staying in the residential area.”

The aircraft entered a slow descent shortly after taking off, with its landing gear still extended before exploding into a huge fireball upon impact. The crash took place in a residential area, which could mean a higher death toll. The twin-engine plane had reached an altitude of 625 feet (190.5 meters) at a speed of 174 knots, or about 200 miles per hour, according to data from Flightradar24.

The pilots in command issued a mayday call immediately after takeoff to air traffic controllers, according to India’s civil aviation regulator. The aircraft was in the command of captain Sumeet Sabharwal and first officer Clive Kundar, who had 8,200 flying hours and 1,100 flying hours of experience, respectively, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

According to air-traffic control data, the jet departed from Ahmedabad at 1:39 p.m. local time using runway 23. After the initial mayday call, there was no response from the cockpit to subsequent calls made by controllers on the ground.

The accident extends a series of serious and fatal incidents in the civil aviation industry this year, including a mid-air collision in Washington early in 2025 between a military helicopter and an aircraft. Air India is in the middle of a strategic turnaround that includes a huge aircraft order as it seeks to tap growing demand from a rising Indian middle class.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accident is “heartbreaking beyond words,” according to a statement, adding that he’s been in touch with ministers and authorities assisting the salvage operation.

Boeing shares fell some 6% in early US trading on Thursday, making it the biggest decline of any stock on the S&P 500 index. The 787 is the company’s most advanced in-service aircraft and is popular with airlines because it is more fuel efficient thanks to its use of lightweight composite materials. Boeing said it’s “aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.”

The crash comes days before the aviation industry’s most important annual conclave kicks off outside of Paris. The Air India accident will cast a cloud over a trade show typically dominated by blockbuster jet orders that was already dampened by global trade tensions. Boeing Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg was due to attend the Paris Air Show, though there was no immediate word on whether his plans had changed.

Among the 242 people on board, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British citizens, 1 Canadian and 7 Portuguese, according to Air India, which said the injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.

Based on the number of people on board, this would be the worst commercial airline crash since MH17 in 2014, which was shot down over Ukraine, killing 298 people, according to Aviation Safety Network, which tracks fatal crashes. The last crash of this magnitude for Air India was Flight 182 in 1985. The Boeing 747 aircraft was destroyed by a bomb over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 329 people on board.

Boeing has been involved in several accidents in recent years, including two fatal crashes with Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019. Early last year, a nearly-new 737 Max aircraft lost a door panel during flight. While there were no fatalities, the accident plunged the company into a deep crisis.

The aircraft involved in Thursday’s accident carried the VT-ANB registration and was almost 12 years old. The plane was powered by two General Electric Co. GEnx engines. GE Aerospace said in a post on X that it is assembling an emergency response team to go to India to support the investigation.

A representative for the US Federal Aviation Administration said the agency is in contact with the National Transportation Safety Board about the incident and stands ready to launch a team immediately. The National Transportation Safety Board said the agency will be leading a team of US investigators traveling to India to assist the government in its investigation into the crash.

US air safety officials typically assist in an investigation to determine the cause of a crash involving an American-built aircraft, though the process unfolds over weeks and months. Air safety incidents are often caused by a number of factors.

Air India operates 34 Boeing 787 aircraft, according to data from aviation consultant Cirium. Their age ranges from just over 2 years to nearly 14, with most more than a decade old. In all, the airline has 192 Boeing and Airbus SE jetliners in its fleet. In 2023, the Tata Group signed a massive 470-plane order to refresh the aging models they inherited with new planes and position the airline for growth.

Following today’s accident, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad suspended flights. Gatwick Airport, the second-largest in the London area, said the aircraft was due to land in the UK capital at 6:25 pm. Air India started operating from Gatwick in 2023 when it launched four new routes including Ahmedabad.

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