Air India Plane Crash: Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among passengers on London-bound flight
Air India Plane Crash: Air India flight AI 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, with 242 people aboard. Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani is among the passengers.
Air India Plane Crash: Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is confirmed to be among the passengers aboard Air India flight AI 171, Hindustan reports. The flight, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, tragically crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport at 1:38 PM on June 12, 2025.
According to reports, ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was passenger number 12 on the ill-fated Air India flight.
The crash occurred approximately five minutes after departure. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumit Sabharwal, with Clive Kunder serving as co-pilot. On board were 232 passengers, including 230 adults and 2 infants, along with 12 crew members, totalling 242 people.
Emergency teams at Ahmedabad airport were immediately activated, and thick smoke from the crash site was visible from a considerable distance. The Director of Airworthiness (DAW), Assistant Director of Airworthiness (ADAW), and one Flight Operations Inspector (FOI), who were already in Ahmedabad for other assignments, have begun gathering detailed information about the incident as rescue and relief efforts continue.
Who is Vijay Rupani?
Vijay Rupani is an Indian politician who served as the 16th chief minister of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021.
Born on August 2, 1956, in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar), he has been a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Rupani’s political career spans several decades, during which he held various key positions, including Mayor of Rajkot (1996–1997), Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (2006–2012), and Gujarat state cabinet minister overseeing portfolios such as transport, labour, and water supply.
He represented the Rajkot West constituency in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and was also the president of the Gujarat BJP before becoming the chief minister.
Ahmedabad airport operations suspended
Ahmedabad airport operations have been suspended due to the Air India plane crash.
“As a result of the Air India plane crash incident, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice,” a spokesperson of SVPIA said.
According to fire officer Jayesh Khadia, the plane caught fire after crashing and fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze.
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