In a tragic development following the crash of Air India flight AI171 on June 12, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released preliminary data on the nationalities of passengers onboard the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flight, which was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, went down shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
According to official reports, the aircraft was carrying a total of 242 individuals, including crew. The breakdown of passengers by nationality is as follows:
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169 Indian nationals
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53 British nationals
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7 Portuguese nationals
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1 Canadian national
The aircraft was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a senior pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. The DGCA confirmed that the aircraft issued a Mayday call soon after takeoff at 13:39 IST but ceased responding thereafter. It crashed just outside the airport perimeter, triggering a massive blaze.
Notably, the name of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani appeared on the passenger manifest, as first reported by TV9 Gujarati, though official confirmation from government sources is still awaited.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and investigators from DGCA and Boeing have been deployed to the site. The tragedy has brought international concern, with several foreign embassies, including the British High Commission, closely monitoring the situation and offering consular assistance.
Further updates on the status of survivors and the cause of the crash are expected in the coming hours as authorities continue to assess the wreckage and black box recordings.
