An Air India passenger plane crashed near an airport in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Thursday. The plane, which was en route from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport, went down shortly after take-off.
The airline issued a statement shortly after the incident confirming the crash. The statement said that 242 people were on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. There were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, one Canadian citizen, and seven Portuguese citizens on the plane. According to a report from Reuters, of the 230 passengers, 217 were adults, 11 were children, and two were infants.
Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah met with Gujarat state officials regarding the accident and announced support for the New Delhi government. Director General of Civil Aviation of India Faiz Ahmed Kidwai announced that the plane crashed in Gujarat state five minutes after takeoff.
Ahmedabad Police Chief told ANI News that no survivors are expected from the crash. Additionally, at least five people died on the ground as the aircraft crashed into a medical students’ hostel.
While aviation generally remains an extremely safe mode of transport, the past year has seen a notable rise in fatal accidents and onboard fatalities, prompting public concern and renewed scrutiny of safety protocols within the civil aviation industry.
Here are some of the worst plane crashes:
United States of America
An American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet (operated by American Eagle as American Airlines Flight 5342) and a U.S. Army Black Hawk military helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Airport on January 29, 2025. The passenger plane, carrying 60 passengers and a crew of four, and the helicopter carrying three military personnel crashed into the Potomac River, and authorities announced that there were no survivors.
South Sudan
A Beechcraft 1900 operated by Light Air Services, transporting oil workers, crashed shortly after departing from GPOC Unity Airstrip in South Sudan on January 29, 2025. Of the 21 people on board, 20 were killed, with only one survivor.
Honduras
A British Aerospace Jetstream 32, AerolÃnea Lanhsa Flight 018, crashed into the sea shortly after overrunning the runway during takeoff from Roatán Airport on March 17, 2025. Thirteen of the 18 people on board lost their lives. Reports indicated a mechanical failure shortly after takeoff.
South Korea
On December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air passenger plane, operating a flight from Bangkok to Muan, experienced a bird strike during its approach to Muan International Airport. A Jeju Air passenger plane went out of control during landing and crashed into the wall at the end of the runway. All 179 people in the cabin, including four crew members, lost their lives. Only two members of the cabin crew were rescued from the tail section of the aircraft and survived the horrible accident. Images of the passenger plane exploding violently after hitting the wall were widely covered in the world press.
Azerbaijan
An Embraer 190 type passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), operating the Baku-Grozny flight, exploded on its right wing while attempting to approach the runway for landing near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024. Of the 67 people on board (62 passengers and five crew members), 38 lost their lives, while 29 survived. After the crash, it was revealed that the passenger plane was hit by Russian air defense systems. The moments recorded by a passenger with a mobile phone camera during the crash attracted great attention on digital platforms, especially X.
