On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight AI171, operating a scheduled passenger flight from Ahmedabad Airport in India to London Gatwick, crashed on take-off. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew onboard. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed in a residential area, into accommodation used by doctors.
Initial reports suggest the crew made a “mayday” distress call to air traffic control shortly after take-off which appears to have been the last communication from the aircraft.
Available support and helpline numbers
The UK Foreign Office has set up crisis teams in India and UK to help those affected and is working with the Indian authorities. British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call 020 7008 5000. Air India has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number and families in India seeking more information can call 1800 5691 444.
Latest updates on Air India Flight AI171 crash: what happens next?
Peter Neenan, Partner in our Aviation team, comments: “The news of the tragic loss of Air India Flight 171 is heartbreaking. At this time, very little is known about the cause. This is a time for grieving.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Peter said: “In due course, the Indian Directorate of General Civil Aviation will begin their investigation. The US National Transportation Safety Board will assist in that investigation and given the number of British nationals onboard we would expect the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch to also assist.”
He continued: “Those investigations routinely take two or more years to complete. The investigation will look at technical factors concerning the Boeing aircraft as well as operational and weather-related issues. At this time, based on the video, anything is possible.
“Families will have rights in England and/or India against Air India and may have rights against Boeing in the US depending on what the investigation reveals. Our advice to families at this early stage is to focus on themselves and their grief. There is time to seek legal advice.”
Early offers of compensation from airlines
Sarah Stewart, Partner in our Aviation team comments on reports that passengers are being offered compensation by the airline. She says: “Early offers of compensation are not unusual and it’s something we’ve seen before, for example in the Singapore Airlines turbulence case but also on other major airline disaster cases. It’s too early for grieving families to be considering offers of compensation, recent reports show a survivor.
“When the time is right, they will want to seek specialist legal advice before accepting any offer of compensation as it may limit their rights down the line. It’s better to wait for investigations to progress so that we understand fully what happened on that flight.”
Our expertise in Aviation claims
Over the last 19 years, our specialist Aviation team has acted for over 1200 bereaved families and injured survivors of over 110 aviation accidents across the world.
If you would like further information, please contact our team
Learn more about our expertise in Air Safety or watch our ‘Aviation injury claims’ video to understand the claim process in detail.
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