Air India crash 2025: Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed – Information about the airline

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, a serious aviation accident occurred in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner belonging to the Indian national airline Air India, which according to initial findings was en route to London, crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff, killing at least 240 people. What is known about the airline? We answer the most important questions.

Air India is the national airline of India. Founded in 1932 under the name Tata Airlines to transport mail between Karachi and Mumbai, it was renamed Air India after World War II and nationalized. In the 2000s, Air India came under increasing pressure: mismanagement, an outdated fleet, and high debt led to a decline in the airline's quality and passenger numbers.

That only changed in 2021, when the Tata Group took over the airline again. Since then, the airline has been undergoing a comprehensive restructuring. In 2023, Air India made headlines when it signed one of the largest contracts in aviation history: 470 new aircraft were ordered from Airbus and Boeing to modernize the existing fleet and expand the route network.

Air India currently owns 191 aircraft, including long-haul jets such as the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner, as well as short- and medium-haul Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft.

According to the magazine "Planespotters," the aircraft have an average age of eight years. Of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners , including the one involved in the crash on June 12, 2025, the airline currently operates 30.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Source: imago images/imagebroker

Air India offers a relatively extensive route network with approximately 45 domestic and 40 international destinations, including many long-haul flights to North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Key destinations include:

• North America : New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Toronto, Vancouver
• Europe : London, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Zurich, Frankfurt , Munich
• Asia and Oceania : Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne
• Middle East and Africa : Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Nairobi, Johannesburg

• The airline is often criticized for delayed flights, unfriendly service, and outdated cabin amenities. On the Tripadvisor portal, Air India receives only 2.5 out of five stars from more than 10,000 reviews. Nearly 4,000 travelers rate the airline as "unsatisfactory." Comments include: "All flights were delayed," "no reading light (broken), no adjustable seat (broken), no charging ports (broken), and no in-flight entertainment," and "this is the worst airline in the world."

The rating on the consumer platform Trustpilot is even worse. Air India receives 1.4 out of five stars . Delays, lost baggage, and defective onboard equipment are the main complaints.

The equipment and functionality of the machines are often criticized.

Source: IMAGO/Panthermedia

Despite the fact that airplanes are considered one of the safest means of transport, problems and accidents with fatal consequences occur again and again. According to an analysis by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (Jacdec), which specializes in airline safety assessment, Air India has significant safety deficiencies.

It ranks seventh in the 2024 ranking of the world's most unsafe airlines . The Jacdec Risk Index assesses more than 30 safety parameters, which can be grouped into three main categories: accidents and incidents (fatalities, injuries), environmental factors (transparency, terrain, weather, infrastructure), and operational factors (fleet age, route profile).

Air India's history is marked by several serious accidents: On January 24, 1966, 117 people were killed in a crash on Mont Blanc. Shortly after takeoff from Mumbai on January 1, 1978, a Boeing 747 crashed, killing 213 people. A Boeing 707 crashed on June 21, 1982, claiming 17 lives. Shortly thereafter, in June 1985, a Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London was destroyed over the Atlantic by a bomb on board. 329 people were killed.

Over the past ten years, there have been over 20 serious incidents, none of which resulted in fatalities. The most recent crash occurred over Ahmedabad on June 25, 2025. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff, killing at least 240 people, according to media reports.

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