Air India plane crash: Revisiting India’s most devastating, deadly air disasters that shook the nation

Air India Plane Crash: On Thursday, June 12, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 

The Air India flight, bound for London Gatwick, lost altitude at about 825 feet and struck a nearby doctors' hostel, resulting in a massive fire and significant casualties. 

This tragic accident marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history

India has witnessed several major and tragic aeroplane crashes over the years, with some of the deadliest incidents shaping the country’s aviation safety landscape.

Notable recent and historical crashes include:

Air India Flight AI171 (2025, Ahmedabad)

A Boeing 787-8 carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport en route to London. Rescue operations are ongoing.

Air India Express Flight IX-1344 (2020, Kozhikode)

An Air India Express aircraft overshot the tabletop runway during landing in heavy rain, resulting in 21 deaths, including both pilots.

Air India Express Flight 812 (2010, Mangalore)

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft overshot the runway on a tabletop strip and plunged into a gorge, killing 158 of 166 onboard. Pilot fatigue and challenging terrain were contributing factors.

Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (1996)

The deadliest aviation disaster in India and the world’s deadliest mid-air collision, involving a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76, killing all 349 onboard both planes. The planes collided over the city of Charkhi Dadri, around 100 km west of Delhi. The crash was caused by miscommunication and air traffic control errors.

Air India Flight 855 (1978, Arabian Sea)

A Boeing 747 crashed shortly after takeoff from Mumbai due to instrument failure and pilot disorientation, killing all 213 onboard.

Indian Airlines Flight 605 (1990, Bangalore)

An Airbus A320 crashed on approach due to pilot error, causing 92 fatalities out of 146 passengers.

Chief ministers who died in air crash

Balwantrai Mehta (1965)

Gujarat’s second chief minister was killed when his Beechcraft aircraft was shot down by the Pakistani Air Force during the Indo-Pak war near the Rann of Kutch.

YS Rajasekhara Reddy (2009)

The then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh YSR Reddy died in a Bell 430 helicopter crash in the Nallamala forest due to bad weather conditions.

Dorjee Khandu (2011)

The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh died when his helicopter crashed into a mountainside in bad weather; his body was found days later in the Himalayas.