Air India plane crash: Areas near Ahmedabad airport to be surveyed

A survey of the surrounding areas of the Ahmedabad airport will be conducted in the wake of last week's Air India plane crash that claimed 270 lives, a top district official said on Thursday, 19 June.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after it took off from the city airport in the afternoon of 12 June. The ghastly air crash and subsequent fire killed 270 persons, including passengers, crew members and people on the ground.

"As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s guidelines, a survey of areas surrounding the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here will be conducted by the officials of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Civil Aviation department," Ahmedabad district collector Sujeet Kumar told reporters.

"Once the survey gets over, subsequent necessary work will be initiated," he said.

The civil aviation ministry has released a draft of the Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, to tighten controls on structures that pose a threat to aircraft safety near airports.

AI crash: Centre issues draft rules to tighten control over physical obstructions

In last week's tragedy, the aircraft departed from the Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 p.m. but soon after take-off, its pilot issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, to the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad. Moments later, the plane smashed into the medical complex located outside the airport premises.

All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the ill-fated plane and another 29 persons on the ground, including five MBBS students of BJ Medical College, were killed.

Of the many left injured, the youngest victim was a baby just 8 months old.

Manisha Kachhadiya and her 8-month-old son Dhyaansh were in one of the buildings affected by the crash. The child suffered 28 per cent burns, but his condition is reportedly improving.

Based on PTI inputs

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