UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded to the crash of a London-bound Air India flight that took off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The flight had 242 people on board, including 53 British nationals. “The reports of a plane carrying British nationals crashing in Ahmedabad are deeply concerning,” said PM Starmer. “I’m being kept informed as the situation unfolds. My thoughts are with the passengers and their families.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy also shared his response to the incident. In a post on X, he wrote, “Sad to hear about the plane crash in Ahmedabad. We are working with Indian authorities to understand the situation and offer support. My thoughts are with those affected.”

The Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as AI 171, crashed shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. According to Air India, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the pilots had sent out a "Mayday" call-an international emergency alert, only minutes before the crash, indicating a serious in-flight emergency.

About the incident

The flight was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who has 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was supported by First Officer Clive Kundar, who has 1,100 hours of flying experience. The plane took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM (Indian time). Soon after takeoff, the pilots sent out a mayday call asking for emergency help. After the Mayday message, the plane stopped responding to messages from air traffic control. Just a few moments later, the plane crashed outside the airport area. People nearby and airport staff saw thick black smoke rising from the crash site, showing that a fire had broken out after the crash.