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The model was launched 14 years ago and just six weeks ago the US planemaker lauded the fact the model, also known as the Dreamliner, has reached the milestone of carrying 1 billion passengers.
To mark that occasion the company said the global 787 fleet of more than 1,175 airplanes has flown nearly 5 million flights covering more than 30 million flight hours.
The crash is a blow for the company which has been struggling to overcome a range of problems, including fatal crashes, with its 737 programmes.
It will be another test for CEO Kelly Ortberg who is about to mark his first anniversary in the job. He was brought in to try and help Boeing sort out a range of problems that were raising questions about its future.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his thoughts are with the passengers and families of those on the Air India flight, which was bound for London Gatwick and crashed in Ahmedabad.
He says: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.
A senior police officer in Ahmedabad tells ANI news agency that the London-bound plane crashed into a doctors' hostel, an accommodation for local medical professionals.
He says police, firefighters and other civic workers reached the spot within minutes. Rescue operations are still under way.
An Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India’s Ahmedabad city on Thursday, the airline and police said.
Rescue personnel at the site said at least 30 bodies have been recovered so far from a building at the site of the plane crash. More people were trapped inside, Reuters quoted the rescue workers as saying.
Air India said the Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 242 passengers and crew members, it said, adding that the injured were being taken to the nearest hospitals
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said signal from the plane was lost less than a minute after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38pm (1:18pm PKT).
According to air traffic control at the Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft gave a “Mayday” call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter, there was no response from the aircraft.
According to The Guardian: “The Air India tragedy in Ahmedabad is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed.
“While airlines using the Boeing plane have had widespread problems with engines on the 787 plane, leaving many having to ground planes and reduce flights, the 787’s safety record in service has been so far good,” the report by Guardian’s transport correspondent Gwyn Topham added.
Al Jazeera also reported that it was the “first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft”, citing the Aviation Safety Network database.
Visuals from right after the crash showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. TV channels also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.
In its statement, Air India detailed that 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian national were among the people on board, with the nationalities of the 12 others not specified. Times of India quoted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as saying that the 242 people comprised 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members.
The airline affirmed that it was giving its “full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident”. It also provided a dedicated passenger hotline number for more information: 1800 5691 444.
In a statement, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed “profound sorrow” over the tragic accident.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” said a statement shared by the Tata Group on X
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”
The Air India chairman noted an emergency centre had been activated and a support team had been set up for families seeking information.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu directed “all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action”.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he added.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8pc to $199.13 in pre-market trade
In August 2020, an Air India Express plane crash-landed at Kerala’ state’s Kozhikode airport, claiming the lives of 21 people, including 19 passengers and the flight’s two pilots, and injuring 76.
That came a decade after an Air India Express flight from Dubai crashed at Mangalore in southern India, killing 159 people, with a handful of survivors.
In one of the worst aviation disasters in India, two passenger planes collided mid-air near New Delhi in 1996, with the loss of all 349 on board both flights
Condolences poured in as leaders across the world reacted to the aviation incident.
Former foreign minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari said he was “saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred”, mentioning the Air India crash.
“I express my profound condolences to the people of India,” he said on X
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us” and “heartbreaking beyond words”.
“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,” he said in a post on X
India’s President Droupadi Murmu said she was “deeply distressed to learn about the tragic plane crash”.
“It is a heart-rending disaster. My thoughts and prayers are with the affected people. The nation stands with them in this hour of indescribable grief,” she said on X.
Britain’s King Charles is being kept updated about the incident, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
British PM Keir Starmer said the images emerging of the plane crash were “devastating”, and that he was being kept updated as the situation developed.
“My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” Starmer said in a statement.
Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim also extended his condolences to the families and loved ones of all those affected in the crash, saying he was “deeply distressed”.
“We share in India’s sorrow and stand in full solidarity as relief efforts continue,” he posted on X.