A Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by Air India that was bound for London crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, in what stands to be the worst accident involving the US planemaker’s most advanced widebody airliner.
Flight AI171 was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Video footage shared on social media showed a giant plume of smoke engulfing the crash site, with no reports of survivors.
The aircraft entered a slow descent shortly after taking off, with its landing gear still extended before exploding into a huge fireball upon impact. The crash took place in a residential area, which could mean a higher death toll. The twin-engine plane had reached an altitude of 625 feet (190.5 meters) at a speed of 174 knots, according to data from Flightradar24.
The accident extends a series of serious and fatal incidents in the civil aviation industry this year, including a mid-air collision in Washington early in 2025 between a military helicopter and an aircraft. Air India is in the middle of a strategic turnaround that includes a huge aircraft order as it seeks to tap growing demand from a rising Indian middle class.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accident is “heartbreaking beyond words,” according to a statement, adding that he’s been in touch with ministers and authorities assisting the salvage operation.
Boeing shares fell 7% in premarket US trading. The 787 is the company’s most advanced in-service aircraft and is popular with airlines because it is more fuel efficient thanks to its use of lightweight composite materials. Boeing said it’s “aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.”

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On today's podcast:

1) An Air India Ltd. Boeing Co. 787 aircraft traveling from Ahmedabad in India to London’s Gatwick airport crashed shortly after taking off, in what stands to be the most serious accident involving the US planemaker’s most advanced widebody airliner. The airline said that Flight AI171 was “involved in an incident” and that Air India is “ascertaining the details.” Footage shared on social media showed a giant plume of smoke engulfing the crash site, with no reports of fatalities or survivors. The flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew, according to news agency ANI.

2) Los Angeles spends another night under curfew as protests spread to more cities. Protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles have spread to other US cities, including New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee, with clashes between protesters and law enforcement. The federal government has expanded its show of force, deploying National Guard troops and authorizing the use of the Hobbs Act to take over criminal cases, which California officials have criticized as "unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic".

3) President Trump says he will set unilateral tariffs on countries in 2 weeks. The president plans to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks setting unilateral tariff rates ahead of a July 9 deadline. President Trump has threatened to impose higher duties on dozens of economies, but has only reached a trade framework with the UK and a tariff truce with China, which was recently threatened.

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On today's podcast:
1) The US and China capped two days of high-stakes trade talks with a plan to revive the flow of sensitive goods — a framework now awaiting the blessing of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
2) Elon Musk, who served as a close adviser and confidante to President Donald Trump until a bitter public falling out last week in a series of social-media posts, issued his strongest sign of contrition yet over how he handled the rupture.
3) California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of misusing his power by mobilizing troops in Los Angeles and warned other states to prepare for similar unrest, as protests over immigration raids stretched into a fifth night and led to a curfew in parts of the city’s downtown.

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