LIVE: Air India plane carrying 242 people crashes in Ahmedabad

A spokesperson for Ahmedabad Airport confirmed the plane crashed ‘shortly after takeoff, outside the airport.’

In a statement it added: ‘As a result, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice.

‘Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport.

‘We request your cooperation and patience as authorities manage this evolving situation. Further updates will be provided as soon as available.’

Britain is working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the Air India plane crash and to provide support to those involved, the foreign office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Commons Leader Lucy Powell said the UK Government will provide ‘all the support that it can’ to those on the flight.

Air India’s Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran shared a heartfelt statement that read: ‘With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. 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.’

Fifty-three British nationals were on board an Air India flight bound for Gatwick airport which crashed after take-off in Ahmedabad, Air India said.

The flight manifest included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals, according to officials.

The flight was due to land at London Gatwick at 18.25 tonight, the airport confirmed in a statement.

Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off.

The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website.

Although officials are yet to release a statement on the crash.

Experts have suggested the amount of fuel used on an international route has worsened the fire following the crash impact, making it a more complicated rescue operation, the Times of India is reporting.

The flight crashed just minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad this afternoon.

The Times of India is reporting 242 people were on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane including 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

Multiple fire engines and ambulances have been dispatched to the crash scene in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad.

According to the newspaper, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will open a formal investigation along with a possible technical team from Boeing.

Flight tracker website Flightradar24 shared a screenshot showing the last signal from FlightAI171 seconds after the plane took off.

The flight reportedly reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it began to descend, according to the flight tracking service.

Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke rising from the crash site near the international airport this morning.

Sections of the plane’s fuselage and tail were also seen protruding from a building.

Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline: ‘It’s a Boeing Dreamliner that has gone down – not certain whether they’ve managed to get anybody off the plane.

‘If it has indeed crash landed and they can deploy the chutes out then they should be able to get people off in 90 seconds.

‘I am aware there are fire appliances in attendance – this is a major incident.

‘It is very disappointing that it is a Dreamliner as it is a state-of-the-art Boeing.

‘We cannot rule out security issues,’ he said, before advising caution that he can only speculate at this time.

Here is MailOnline’s breaking news story on the Air India crash

An Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 242 passengers and crew has crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.

Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, careened back to earth in the Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway.

Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from the crash site near the international airport this morning.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage as an Air India flight heading to London crashes in Ahmedabad.

Early reports state 242 people were on board the plane which was heading to London Gatwick.

Stick with us as we bring you live updates on this breaking story.