FULL LIST: Locations, Fatalities, Dates of 10 Major Air India Disasters Ever Recorded
- Air India has suffered numerous devastating crashes over the decades, with fatalities spanning across various incidents and aircraft types
- The most recent tragedy, Air India flight 171, resulted in 241 deaths, marking one of the airline's deadliest disasters, with only one survivor
- From bombings to crashes, past incidents like the 1985 Air India flight 182 bombing and the 2020 Air India Express crash have left a lasting impact on aviation safety
Air India, established in 1932, has been central to Indian aviation, but its history is marked by several devastating disasters.
Recall that recently a London-bound Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad, India, leaving 241 dead and one confirmed survivor, according to officials.
Source: Getty Images
Legit.ng has compiled a list of major incidents involving the airline, focusing on key locations, fatalities, and dates.
1. Air India flight 171 crash
Date: June 12, 2025
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Fatalities: 241 of 242 on board
Details: On its way to London, Air India flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, crashing into a medical college hostel and causing an explosion.
A sole survivor was reported, with fatalities also on the ground. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
2. Air India Express flight 1344 crash
Date: August 7, 2020
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Fatalities: 21 of 190 on board
Details: In heavy rains, the flight skidded off the wet runway and plunged into a valley. The plane broke apart, and the crash killed 21 passengers, including the two pilots.
3. Air India Express flight 812 crash
Date: May 22, 2010
Location: Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Fatalities: 158 of 166 on board
Details: The plane overshot the runway in Mangalore, caught fire, and fell into a gorge. Eight passengers survived, while the rest died due to the crash and subsequent fire, as reported by Britannica.
4. Air India flight 182 (Emperor Kanishka) bombing
Source: Getty Images
Date: June 23, 1985
Location: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ireland
Aircraft: Boeing 747-237B
Fatalities: 329 (all on board)
Details: A bomb explosion in mid-air brought down the flight from Montreal to Bombay. The bombing, attributed to Sikh extremists, remains the deadliest in Air India’s history.
5. Air India flight 403 (Gauri Shankar) crash
Date: June 21, 1982
Location: Bombay, India
Aircraft: Boeing 707
Fatalities: 17 of 111 on board
Details: The plane flew into poor weather and bounced off the runway, splitting into three parts. A severe storm and pilot error contributed to the crash.
6. Air India flight 224 (Kamet) hijacking
Date: November 25, 1981
Location: Mahé Island, Seychelles
Aircraft: Boeing 707
Fatalities: None
Details: The flight was hijacked by armed militants who demanded to be flown to Durban, South Africa. After negotiations, the hijackers surrendered, and all hostages were freed.
7. Air India flight 855 (Emperor Ashoka) crash
Date: January 1, 1978
Location: Arabian Sea, near Bombay, India
Aircraft: Boeing 747
Fatalities: 213 (all on board)
Details: The aircraft crashed into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff, due to a flight path error caused by instrumentation failure, leaving no survivors.
8. Air India flight 101 (Kanchenjunga) crash
Date: January 24, 1966
Location: Mont Blanc, France
Aircraft: Boeing 707
Fatalities: 117 (all on board)
Details: The flight crashed into Mont Blanc while descending towards Geneva. The crash killed 106 passengers and 11 crew members, including physicist Homi Bhabha, Oneindia recording
9. Air India flight 300 (Kashmir Princess) bombing
Date: April 11, 1955
Location: South China Sea, near Natuna Islands, Indonesia
Aircraft: Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Fatalities: 16 of 19 on board
Details: The flight was targeted by a bomb while en route to Jakarta. Premier Zhou Enlai, who had been the target, had cancelled his participation, and only three crew members survived.
10. Air India flight 245 (Malabar Princess) crash
Date: November 3, 1950
Location: Mont Blanc, France
Aircraft: Lockheed L-749 Constellation
Fatalities: 48 (all on board)
Details: The plane crashed into Mont Blanc while descending into Geneva. All 48 passengers and crew were killed in the stormy weather.
11. 1947 Korangi Creek crash
Date: December 27, 1947
Location: Near Karachi, Pakistan
Aircraft: Douglas C-48C (DC-3)
Fatalities: 23 (all on board)
Details: The first recorded crash of an Air India flight, this accident occurred shortly after takeoff due to instrument failure and poor visibility, killing all passengers and crew.
Air India tragedy: Lone survivor speaks
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has been identified as the lone survivor of the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad, India's western city.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, June 12.
GS Malik, Ahmedabad police commissioner, confirmed that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was onboard seat 11A, survived the crash and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
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Source: Legit.ng
