Air India Ahmedabad-London flight crash isn¡¯t the first: From Kanishka to Kozhikode, a timeline of catastrophes in the sky
From the deadly Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad to the 1985 Kanishka bombing, Air India has seen several major air disasters over the decades. Here¡¯s a timeline of the airline¡¯s worst crashes ¡ª involving engine fires, weather, bombings, and runway overruns.
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, killing 179 passengers, is the first major Dreamliner crash globally. The aircraft was en route to London and went down during take-off. Social media visuals showed thick plumes of smoke from the site, with emergency services rushing in. This event adds to a list of serious air disasters involving Air India over the decades. Here is a history of the crashes of Air India.
Kozhikode crash, 2020
On August 7, 2020, an Air India Express Boeing 737 crashed in Kozhikode while landing on a table-top runway slick from heavy rain. The aircraft was returning from Dubai as part of the Vande Bharat repatriation mission during the pandemic. Piloted by Wing Commander Deepak Vasant Sathe and Captain Akhilesh Kumar, the flight had 191 people on board. It attempted to land twice before skidding off the runway into a gorge. A total of 21 people, including both pilots, died.
Air India Flight crashed in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, Gujrat.
¡ª Sumit (@SumitHansd) June 12, 2025
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Around 232 people were on the
??Ahmedabad-London?? flight when the plane crashed
Prayers ? #Gujarat #PlaneCrash #Ahemdabad pic.twitter.com/EzrPGgNPLh
Mangaluru crash, 2010
Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800, crashed on May 22, 2010, while landing at Mangaluru Airport. It overshot the table-top runway and hit an instrument landing structure. Of the 166 people on board, 158 were killed. Only eight passengers survived. Twelve bodies could not be identified and were given a mass funeral. Table-top runways are known to be difficult for pilots due to visual illusions that can affect landing judgment.
Kanishka bombing, 1985
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka) exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland. The Boeing 747-237B was on its way from Montreal to New Delhi via London. A total of 329 people, mostly Canadian citizens of Indian descent, were killed. The bombing was linked to Sikh separatists seeking revenge for the 1984 Indian Army operation at the Golden Temple. The bomb was placed in a suitcase on board.
Arabian sea crash, 1978
Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea on January 1, 1978, after departing from Santacruz Airport in Mumbai at 8:00 pm. The aircraft was headed to Dubai. Instrument failure led to spatial disorientation for the pilots, resulting in the crash. All 213 people on board died.
Bombay crash, 1976
On October 12, 1976, Air India Flight 171, a Caravelle aircraft, crashed shortly after takeoff from Bombay Airport. The plane was on its way to Madras. One of the engines caught fire mid-air. There were 95 people on board, including 89 passengers and six crew.
Mont Blanc crash, 1966
Air India Flight 101 crashed on January 24, 1966, into the Mont Blanc mountains near the French-Italian border. The Boeing aircraft named 'Kanchenjunga' had 117 people on board, including nuclear physicist Homi J. Bhabha. The aircraft was flying from Bombay to London with stops in Delhi, Beirut, and Geneva. The cause of the crash remains unknown. Bhabha¡¯s death sparked conspiracy theories due to his prominence in India¡¯s nuclear program.
Mont Blanc crash, 1950
Air India Express 245, the 'Malabar Princess', crashed in the Mont Blanc region on November 3, 1950. The Lockheed aircraft, en route from Cairo to Geneva, slammed into Rocher de la Tournette, a rock point on Mont Blanc at a height of 4,677 meters. All 48 passengers and crew died in the accident.
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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