Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Dies in Air India Flight AI171 Crash

Ahmedabad — Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 242 people killed in the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The flight was en route to London Gatwick when it issued a distress “Mayday” call moments after liftoff at 1:39 PM IST, before losing contact with air traffic control. The aircraft crashed just outside the airport perimeter, sending up thick black smoke visible from miles away.

Rupani, who served as Gujarat’s 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021, was on his way to London to meet his wife and daughter. His wife, Anjali Rupani, was scheduled to return to India with him. The news of his death has deeply shocked the political and public spheres, as he becomes the second Gujarat Chief Minister to die in an aviation tragedy.

In a tragic historical parallel, Balwantrai Mehta, Gujarat’s second CM, also lost his life in an air accident. In September 1965, during the Indo-Pak war, Mehta’s Beechcraft plane was shot down by the Pakistani Air Force while flying from Ahmedabad to Mithapur.

Initial radar reports show that AI171 climbed only 625 feet before beginning a rapid descent. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft appeared unstable before crashing. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is currently leading a detailed investigation, with support from Boeing technical teams. Flight data recorders, maintenance logs, and cockpit voice recordings will be key to determining the cause.

The nation mourns the loss of Rupani and others aboard in what has become one of the deadliest air disasters in recent Indian history.