Who Was Vijay Rupani? Former Gujarat CM Killed In Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash

The flight had departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was also onboard, as per reports.

Photo Credit: Left- ANI, Right- BJP Website

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: The Air India aircraft that was travelling from Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick) Airport had a tragic crash five minutes after its takeoff on Thursday afternoon. The former Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was aboard the aircraft and was killed in the deadly crash. Earlier, a photo of Rupani seating in the Business Class section of the aircraft had surfaced. Union Minister C R Patil confirmed that former Chief Minister of Gujarat  Vijay Rupani was aboard the aircraft and did not survive the crash. The lone survivor from the Air India dreamliner crash was seating on 11A and survived with minor injuries.

On the other hand, ANI reported, citing, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), that the aircraft crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar. There were 242 people onboard, consisting of two pilots and ten cabin crew members. 

The DGCA also informed that the aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. 

Who Was Vijay Rupani? 

Vijay Rupani, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was the former CM of Gujarat and was in office from 2016 to September 2021. He has also been the President of the BJP, Gujarat, for a while. Presently, Rupani is the in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh.

Who Were Onboard?

In a statement, Air India confirmed that flight AI171 was involved in an accident. The flight had departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

Of these 242 onboard, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals.

A passenger hotline number "1800 5691 444" has also been set up to provide more information. 

Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off.

The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are… — Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025

After the tragic incident, the profile photos across social media platforms went black. 

Visuals Of Flight Crash

The visuals of the crash show the aircraft seconds before it crashed, and then thick black smoke emerging from the scene. 

#BigBreaking | गुजरात के अहमदाबाद में प्लेन क्रैश का मंजर देख फट जाएगा कलेजा, वीडियो आया सामने#Breaking #PlaneCrash #GujaratPlane #Crash #Ahmedabad #AirIndia pic.twitter.com/te1E1coNfu — Zee News (@ZeeNews) June 12, 2025

Central Govt In Action 

Following the Air India plane crash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. 

PM Modi spoke to HM Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. He has asked them to go to Ahmedabad and ensure all possible assistance is extended to those affected in the wake of the air mishap: Sources pic.twitter.com/s4fstgDuRh — ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025

After his conversation with the PM, Shah left for Ahmedabad. President Draupadi Murmu, LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, EAM S Jaishankar, and others have expressed grief after the tragedy. 

Multiple agencies were involved in the rescue and relief operations at the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad. Several ambulances also arrived at the Civil Hospital after the tragic crash. 

(with ANI inputs)