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US President Donald Trump on Thursday communicated profound distress over the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, depicting it as “one of the most noticeably awful in flying history.” He offered condolences to the casualties and their families, calling the occurrence a awful misfortune.

Trump guaranteed that the Joined together States is prepared to help India in any way conceivable. “We’ll be over there quickly on the off chance that needed,” he said, emphasizing America’s readiness to back alleviation and recuperation endeavors, according to Firstpost.

Commenting on the scale of the catastrophe, Trump stated, “It looks like most are gone.” In spite of the gravity of the circumstance, he communicated certainty in India’s capacity to handle the emergency, alluding to it as a “strong country.”

At least 204 people were killed and 41 were injured after a London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashedminutes after taking off from Ahmedabad in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Flight AI171 came down on a government hospital hostel on the outskirts of the airport, leaving a field of debris and scenes of devastation, India Today reported.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed that 204 people had been killed in the Air India flight crash and indicated that the condition of those injured was extremely critical. Three medical students were killed in the crash, Dr Mehul Shah, chief of Gujarat chapter of the Indian Medical Association, said. He added that several medical students were injured and admitted to the hospital.

The Air India flight had taken off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm and crashed just five minutes later. It was bound for London's Gatwick airport. A video of the plane, taken just as it had taken off, showed it struggling to remain airborne and gradually losing altitude before it crashed into the ground, igniting into a fireball, according to India Today.

At least 120 people are feared dead after an Air India flight carrying 242 passengers crashed near Ahmedabad Airport, Hindustan Times reported.

The plane, en-route to London, crashed in a residential area, five minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Gujarat.

Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday (June 12, 2025) afternoon from Ahmedabad, The Hindu reported.

The flight had 242 people on board. Reports from the state medical association noted that the aircraft crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess in Meghani Nagar.

The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) claimed students were present at the hostel mess at the time of the crash. Images shared by FAIMA show a part of the plane stuck in the building of the hostel, which could be seen to have suffered damages.

An official confirmation from the State Government is awaited with details about the medical and medical college staff injured in the accident, according to The Hindu.

Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed minutes after take-off with 242 passengers onboard, The Hindustan Times reported.

Air India has confirmed that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, that crashed minutes after take-off this afternoon had 242 passengers and crew members on board. Of these, 169 were Indian nationals and 53 were British nationals. 

There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, according to The Hindustan Times.

“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” Air India said in a statement.

“We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” the full-service carrier added.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has been shut till further notice after an Air India aircraft with 242 on board crashed within minutes after take-off on Thursday, Indian Express reported.

“Flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, earlier today, was involved in a crash shortly after takeoff, outside the airport. As a result, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice,” an SVPIA spokesperson said in a statement.

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was on the Air India flight that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, India Today reported.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft bound for London crashed after five minutes of taking-off near Ahmedabad airport this afternoon.

According to the passenger list document accessed by India Today Digital, "Vijay Ramniklal Rupani" was the 12th passenger on the list. He was booked in Z class, which falls under the Business Class category, accoding to India Today.

An Air India flight to London crashed shortly after take-off at the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, India Today reported.

The flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carried 242 passengers. Visuals from the area showed thick black smoke in the air as more details about the accident were awaited.

Emergency services rushed to the spot following the crash, including seven fire engines, according to India Today.

Prominent music agent Dave Shapiro is among those who were killed after a small plane crashed into a residential street in San Diego, according to his talent agency, BBC reported.

Shapiro was the co-founder of Sound Talent Group, whose clients include rock bands like Sum 41, Story of the Year and Pierce the Veil.

Daniel Williams, former drummer for the band The Devil Wears Prada, is also feared to have been involved in the crash. Media reports indicate he posted on social media from the plane.

Federal officials say there were six people on board the plane and all are presumed dead. The crash destroyed one home and damaged 10 others in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood, leaving charred cars and fiery debris, according to BBC.

A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, Associated Press reported.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

President Donald Trump told a White House news conference that no one survived.

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital.

The crash occurred before 9 p.m. in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles (about 4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol.

Air crash investigations can take months, and federal investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause, according to Associated Press.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane, agency spokesperson Peter Knudson said. They were at the agency’s labs for evaluation.

The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching miles of the Potomac, Donnelly said. The helicopter wreckage was also found. Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the plane was making a normal approach when “the military aircraft came into the path” of the jet.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m, once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said. A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level.

The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The Federal Aviation Administration has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

A top Army aviation official said the crew of the helicopter, a Black Hawk, was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city, Associated Press reported.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

Scores of people were killed on Sunday when a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, with the aircraft careening down the runway on its belly before bursting into flames, CNN reported.

At least 96 people have been confirmed dead so far, according to the local fire department. Two people, both crew members, were pulled alive from the crash site however rescuers have warned there is little hope of finding further survivors.

Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 from Bangkok was carrying 175 passengers and six crew when disaster struck at the airport in Muan county, just after 9 a.m. local time Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday). The accident was caused by a landing gear malfunction, officials said.

 Footage of Sunday’s crash broadcast by multiple South Korean news outlets showed the plane sliding on its belly at high speed, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting in a fireball.

Neither the back nor front landing gear was visible in the footage – broadcast by networks including YTN, JTBC and MBC – as smoke poured from the back of the sliding aircraft, according to CNN.

Firefighters were later seen using water cannons to extinguish the blazing wreckage of the aircraft, which was listed as a Boeing 737-800 on flight-tracking site FlightAware. Several parts of the aircraft were also seen strewn across the runway.

 The victims include 47 males, 48 females, and one child whose gender could not be determined, according to the South Jeolla Fire Service. Both of the survivors were crew members, one male and one female, according to the rescue team.

Two Thai nationals were among those on board, according to the South Korean Land Ministry, which said officers from the national Incident Investigation Committee had arrived to look into what caused the accident.

Rescue workers will search for the “black box” flight data recorders after recovering the bodies of the remaining victims, the Transport Ministry said in a briefing. The recorders offer aviation safety investigators critical facts when piecing together what happened after an incident.

More than 700 personnel from the police, military, and coast guard have been mobilized for on-site response efforts, the ministry added.

Boeing extended its condolences to those who lost loved ones in the crash.

“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a short statement posted to its X account.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added.

The US aviation giant has had a turbulent time in recent years, including two 737 Max crashes, a tragedy for which the company agreed to plead guilty to deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration during the certification process for the plane, CNN reported.

However, analysts have described the Boeing 737-800 as a reliable workhorse of the skies with an extremely strong safety record.

Jeju Air’s chief executive said the aircraft had shown “no signs of issues” prior to Sunday’s accident.

“At this time, it is difficult to determine the cause of the accident, and we have to wait for the official announcement of the investigation by the relevant government agency,” Kim Yi-bae said during a press briefing at the airport.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, arrived at the crash site in the early afternoon. Choi had earlier instructed emergency responders to mobilize “all available” equipment and personnel to respond to the crash, according to a press release by the interior and safety ministry.

The tragedy comes only two days into Choi’s acting presidency, the latest chapter in a time of political chaos in South Korea.

The country’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was stripped of his powers by parliament two weeks ago following a short-lived martial law order that plunged the country into political disarray. He is currently suspended while a top court decides his fate.

Han Duck-soo, the man who stepped in to replace Yoon as acting president, was impeached by parliament on Friday, meaning Choi – the finance minister and deputy prime minister – stepped in for him.

Sunday’s crash is “very perplexing” given that both the aircraft and carrier have a strong safety record and flying conditions were excellent, an aviation journalist said.

The Boeing 737-800 is one of the most widely used aircraft in the world and each one is used for about four or five flights per day, Geoffrey Thomas, editor of Airline News, told CNN’s Paula Newton.

“It is the most reliable aircraft in the world, and it’s been in service for 20 years,” he said. “Everybody knows how it works. And it works really, really well. And the maintenance done in [South] Korea is as good as it gets around the world.”

South Korean fire officials have said there may have been a landing gear malfunction and footage showed the aircraft sliding on its belly.

“It’s a little bit unclear whether or not the undercarriage collapsed on landing or whether the undercarriage was not deployed at all. This is a really serious issue that obviously investigators will be very much focused on,” Thomas said.

He added “it is perplexing” that the crash happened, given it was landing under dry and sunny conditions at a good airport.

The loss of 18 lives in the Saurya Airlines crash in Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday has once again thrust Nepal’s aviation safety record into the spotlight. This incident, which occurred at the country’s primary international gateway equipped with modern safety and navigation infrastructure, has raised serious questions about the state of air safety in Nepal. 

This is the fifth accident within the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) premises so far, with four of these incidents resulting in fatalities. Fifty-one passengers died when a Bombardier Q400 aircraft of the US-Bangla Airlines crashed while landing in TIA in 2018. Frequent air accidents have hampered Nepal’s efforts to remove itself from the European Union’s Air Safety List, which prevents Nepali carriers from flying into European airspace. 

Experts blame a dual role on the part of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) as both regulator and service provider for the safety lapses. This conflict of interest has long been identified as a major obstacle to effective oversight and enforcement of safety standards. The European Union (EU) has cited it as one of the factors contributing to Nepal’s inclusion in its blacklist. The bill to separate these functions of CAAN has been pending in the Parliament for years, despite an urgent need to pass this crucial legislation and remove the country from the list. Nepal can establish a more robust, independent oversight mechanism by creating separate entities for regulation and airport operation. This would enable the regulatory body to focus solely on enforcing safety standards without conflicting pressures of airport management and commercial considerations.

Legal reforms alone won’t guarantee a safer sky, though. Strict implementation of recommendations by crash study commissions, regular audits of airlines and airports, and continuous training and capacity building for aviation personnel are equally important for ensuring safe skies. Inquiry commissions are formed after every air accident. However, recommendations made in the report of these commissions are not implemented. Moreover, there is a need to deploy cutting-edge technology and modern infrastructure at airports, especially outside the Kathmandu valley, given Nepal’s challenging topography and adverse weather conditions. Upgrading navigation systems, improving runway conditions and enhancing emergency response capabilities are also important to mitigate the risks of flying in Nepal.

Aviation is not just a mode of transport, but an important component of the Nepali economy. A safe and reliable air transport is crucial for the Nepali tourism industry, an important source of foreign exchange for the country. Safety lapses not only risk lives but also jeopardize Nepal's economic future.

Dear readers,

We start this week’s update on a tragic note. We are talking about the tragic Saurya plane crash at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Wednesday that killed 18 out of 19 passengers on board.

At this time of tragedy, our thoughts are with the friends and families of the deceased. We also wish for a speedy recovery of the pilot who survived the disaster.  

Wednesday’s incident at the TIA has once again highlighted concerns over Nepal’s aviation safety. Once again questions are being raised about the oversight role of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the airlines. 

Recently, there has been an increase in technical errors, emergency landings, and other issues with domestic airlines, leading to a growing sense of insecurity among the public. People are now questioning the safety of both air and land travel, especially in light of recent plane crashes and major bus accidents.

These tragedies negatively impact Nepal’s international image and could further harm the tourism industry, which is just beginning to recover from the severe effects of Covid-19. The international community is closely monitoring these incidents as Nepal seeks permission from the European Commission for Nepali planes to fly over the European airspace.

This week, the monsoon continued to wreak havoc across the country, causing loss of lives and property. Already, monsoon rains have claimed over 130 lives and caused property damage worth billions.

Now onto politics. This week, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli secured a two-third majority in a crucial floor test at the House of Representatives. However, it remains to be seen if he can maintain this support for long. After becoming prime minister, Oli faced tough questions from lawmakers, which we covered in detail. He also made public a much-anticipated seven-point agreement reached with Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, which has not yet been released.

Within the NC, Oli’s primary coalition partner, internal dissatisfaction is growing over the selection of ministerial candidates for provincial and federal positions. Senior leaders Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa have accused Deuba of favoring his close associates. While this discontent may not escalate significantly, the NC leadership should address these concerns to prevent potential spillover effects on the coalition government. Deuba, who has total control over party structures, should be more accommodating and provide space for marginalized groups. The same goes for Prime Minister Oli; he should address intra-party concerns rather than suppressing dissenting voices.

Outside Kathmandu, following the formation of the NC-UML coalition at the center, new chief ministers are being appointed in the provinces. Provincial governments are becoming unstable due to a frequent change of guard at the Center, but our political parties seem least bothered about it.

Meanwhile, former prime minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was ousted from power, is busy with internal party meetings, emphasizing the positive aspects of his government's tenure. He claims he was ousted after corruption scandals were uncovered and has urged party members to focus on rebuilding the party's organizational base. Since losing power, Dahal has not spoken in the Parliament.

In another story this week, a cross-party committee formed to address war-era human rights issues has made some progress, but it is unclear what top politicians think about the TRC Bill pending in Parliament. With the Maoists out of power, significant progress on the TRC seems unlikely.

On the economic front, with the new government in place, attention is on Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel to revive the country's economy. Prime Minister Oli has appointed former Finance Minister and Governor Yubaraj Khatiwada as his economic advisor, delaying the unveiling of the much-awaited monetary policy. Concerns remain about whether Poudel and Khatiwada will coordinate effectively on economic issues. The public expects good coordination between the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s Office, and Nepal Rastra Bank.

Also this week, Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba outlined the government’s foreign policy priorities. It is unclear if she is consulting with the prime minister on these matters, but she has discussed China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), stating it cannot proceed without wider government and public discussions. The BRI has been under discussion since Nepal signed the framework agreement in 2017, with the debate polarized between pro-BRI and anti-BRI forces in Kathmandu. China and Western countries are investing in narratives for and against the BRI, respectively, dividing politicians.

Another notable story this week concerned Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Indira Rana Magar. Magar faced public scrutiny after a letter surfaced in which she had written to the US Embassy in Kathmandu to facilitate the visa process for people with no official connection to her.

Some parliamentarians have accused Magar of misusing her position and trying to “traffick” people into the US, and have called for her resignation to facilitate the investigation. Magar’s party, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has defended her, stating that the letter was written last year to request the US embassy to schedule an early date for visa interviews, and that there was no ill-intention.

RSP has also claimed that their detractors are using the old letter to smear Magar and the party. However, the moral question remains, as Magar did use her official letterhead of the Deputy Speaker for her correspondence with the US embassy.

That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend!

A Saurya Airlines passenger plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 18 people.

The plane, carrying two crew members and 17 others (15 of whom were airline technical staff), was en route to Pokhara for a comprehensive maintenance check known as a “C-check.” This inspection, conducted every 18-24 months or after a specific number of flight hours, involves a thorough examination of an aircraft’s systems, components, and structures, typically taking several weeks.

Among the deceased were four senior officers from Saurya Airlines: Sagar Acharya, Ashwin Niroula, Yagya Prasad Poudyal, and Dilip Verma. Also on board were Priza Khatiwada, wife of Saurya IT officer Manu Raj Sharma, and their four-year-old son, Adhiraj, who all perished in the crash.

The other victims were identified as Sushant Katuwal (co-pilot), Amit Man Maharjan, Sudip Lal Joshi, Sarbesh Marasini, Shyam Bindukar, Navaraj Ale, Rajaram Acharya, Uddhab Puri, Santosh Mahato, Punya Ratna Saahi, and Aref Reda, a Yemeni national. All were staff members of Saurya Airlines. The bodies were recovered by the afternoon and transported to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for postmortem examinations.

Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, the pilot, was the sole survivor. He was rescued from the wreckage and rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to his eyes but was reported to be out of danger.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aircraft (CRJ 200, Registration: 9N-AME) took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:11 am from Runway 02. Moments after takeoff, the plane veered off to the right of the runway, resulting in the crash. Eyewitness accounts and video footage on social media showed the plane catching fire upon impact.

Nepal’s aviation safety record is poor, with numerous fatal light plane and helicopter crashes over the years. The European Commission has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace due to safety concerns. Nepal’s airports are among the most challenging in the world, with runways flanked by snow-capped peaks and difficult approaches, even for experienced pilots. Rapidly changing weather conditions in the mountains add to the hazards.

The last major commercial flight accident in Nepal occurred in Jan 2023, when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed while landing in Pokhara, killing all 72 on board. This was the deadliest accident since 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed near Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board. Earlier that year, a Thai Airways flight also crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.

In 2019, a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangladesh crashed at Tribhuvan airport, killing 51 people while 20 survived. An investigation confirmed that the plane was misaligned with the runway and its pilot was disoriented when the plane crashed.

In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off a slippery runway while landing in dense fog at Tribhuvan International Airport. The plane was carrying 238 people, but there were no serious injuries.

The government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the crash. An emergency Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening established the committee, led by former Director General of CAAN, Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. The committee includes Deepu Raj Jwarchan, operation director of Nepal Airlines Corporation; Sudip Bhattarai, head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at IOE, Pulchowk; Sanjay Adhikari, board member of Shree Airlines; and Mukesh Dangol, member secretary at Air Traffic Control, CAAN. The committee has been tasked with investigating the crash and submitting its report within 45 days.

The government also declared a day of mourning on Thursday and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast.

The government has decided to form a five-member probe commission to investigate Saurya Airlines plane crash.

An emergency Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday formed a five-member probe commission under the headship of former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Ratish Chandra Lal Suman.

Dipu Jwarchan, Sudip Bhattarai, Sanjay Adhikari and Mukesh Dangol are the members of the commission, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung informed.

The commission has to submit the report within 45 days, he said.

The government has also decided to observe mourning on Thursday.

The government has decided to fly the national flag half mast for the same, Minister Gurung said.

At least 18 people died when an aircraft with call sign CRJ7 (Reg 9NAME) belonging to Saurya Airlines crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:11 am on Wednesday, the CAAN informed.

Pilot Manish Shakya, however, was rescued alive. He is undergoing treatment at the Sinamangal-based KMC Hospital.

According to a preliminary investigation of the Authority, the plane skidded off the runway and fell into a ditch on the eastern side of the runway while taking off for Pokhara.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed sorrow over the Saurya Airlines plane crash that occurred this morning at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 18 people on board.

The Prime Minister took to social media and said he is deeply saddened by the death of 18 people in the plane crash.

He urged all for patience at this hour of grief. 

The plane with the call sign 9N- AME skidded off the runway and fell into a ditch on the eastern side of the runway while taking off for Pokhara.

The incident took place at 11:11 am.