A flight bound for Gatwick has crashed shortly after take-off this morning (Thursday 12 June).
Gatwick Airport said that the Air India flight from Ahmedabad had been due to land at 6.25pm this evening.
The airport tweeted: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, said that 230 passengers and 12 crew were aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it crashed outside the airport perimeter.
Air India said that 169 of the passengers were Indian, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian.
Flightradar24, the aircraft tracking website, indicated that the aircraft was 625ft (190m) off the ground, less than a minute after take-off, when the signal was lost just before 1.40pm local time or 9.10am British Summer Time (BST).
The aircraft was flying at just over 200mph or 174 knots.
The DGCA said that there was a mayday call for help.
Air India said that relatives could call a dedicated passenger hotline on (0091) 1800 5691 444 while British nationals can call 020 7008 5000 if they need consular help or have concerns about family or friends.
