At least 18 dead as Air India flight crashes after skidding off Kozhikode runway, inquiry ordered
Many passengers are ‘seriously injured’.

At least 18 people died on Friday after an Air India Express plane skidded off the runway during its landing at the Karipur Airport in Kerala’s Kozhikode city due to heavy rain. The plane broke into two pieces, and many passengers were injured.
The victims include the two pilots. The toll is likely to rise.
The Dubai-Kozhikode flight (IX-1344) had 190 people on board.
These are the helpline numbers that the Ministry of External Affairs has tweeted: 1800 118 797; +91 11 23012113; +91 11 23014104; +91 11 23017905. Here are more helpline numbers.
Here is what happened:
1.20 am: Air India Express confirms that both pilots – Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe and Captain Akhilesh Kumar – have died, reports The Times of India.
12.27 am: Here are photos from the scene.
Image credit: PTI




12.13 am: Puri adds that rescue operations are over, and two teams of investigators from Air India, the Airports Authority of India, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will leave for Kozhikode early on Saturday morning.
Two investigation teams of professionals from @airindiain @AAI_Official & AAIB will leave for Kozhikode at 02.00 hrs & 05.00 hrs.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 7, 2020
Everyone has now been rescued from the aircraft.
Rescue operations are now complete.
Injured being treated at various city hospitals.
12.12 am: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweets details about the number of people on board the flight, and says he has received information that 16 people are dead so far.
11.30 pm: The aviation ministry confirms that there was no fire on the flight when it landed, reports PTI.
11.27 pm: Many passengers on the flight were those returning home after having lost their jobs in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, reports The News Minute.
11.16 pm: A meeting of the civil aviation ministry has been called with senior officials of Air India Express, the Airports Authority of India, and the Director General of Civil Aviation, reports ANI.
11.14 pm: Casualties appear to be people from the front portion of the aircraft, reports NDTV.
11.12 pm: Experts say it is fortunate the plane did not catch fire and explode.
11.08 pm: Many passengers are “seriously injured”, reports Doordarshan.
Most of the passengers including cabin crew are seriously injured
— DD News (@DDNewslive) August 7, 2020
11.06 pm: All passengers have been rescued, reports News18. Four passengers who were trapped inside the aircraft have serious injuries, says CISF chief CV Anand.
11.03 pm: Visuals from the rescue site and outside the airport.
Air India flight overshoots runway, splits into two at Calicut airport | In pix, videoshttps://t.co/rjkhSBVDYP pic.twitter.com/zjL9noirEm
— Onmanorama (@Onmanorama) August 7, 2020
Kerala: Visuals from outside Karipur Airport.
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
State Health Minister KK Shailaja says,'14 dead in Air India Express flight crash landing incident at Kozhikode. Those injured rushed to Kozhikode Medical College & other nearby hospitals. Those admitted are having serious injuries' pic.twitter.com/nZ9tH7HUFp
11.03 pm: Kozhikode administration urges people not to go to hospitals unless necessary, due to coronavirus concerns, reports The News Minute. Lists of hospitals where passengers are being treated are being released.
11 pm: Air India Express issues a statement.
Air India Express Statement regarding incident involving Air India Express at Kozhikode pic.twitter.com/UPOE0y5TEr
— Air India Express (@FlyWithIX) August 7, 2020
10.58 pm: The civil aviation minister says he is deeply anguished about the accident. The aircraft fell 35 feet into a slope before it broke, he says.
Hardeep Singh Puri adds that an investigation will be held.
Deeply anguished & distressed at the air accident in Kozhikode.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 7, 2020
The @FlyWithIX flight number AXB-1344 on its way from Dubai to Kozhikode with 191 persons on board, overshot the runway in rainy conditions & went down 35 ft. into a slope before breaking up into two pieces.
10.47 pm: Four people are trapped inside the plane, the Kerala director general of police tells News18.
#EXCLUSIVE | 15 people have died including the pilot, some are serious but I’m not sure about the number. All people have been taken to hospitals except for 4 who are stuck inside the plane: Loknath Behera (Kerala DGP) tells @maryashakil.
— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) August 7, 2020
Read more: https://t.co/QgFtLGI1x6 pic.twitter.com/LMVaxLJnRF
10.44 pm: The flight was repatriating people from Dubai during the coronavirus pandemic, as part of Air India’s Vande Bharat mission.
10.43 pm: The captain of the flight, Deepak Sathe, made two attempts to land the plane in heavy rain, reports NDTV. However, the flight overshot the runway around 7.40 pm. Sathe reportedly had thousands of hours of flying experience.
10.38 pm: Here are some pictures.
#CalicutAirCrash | Air India Express flight with over 190 onboard skids off runway in Kozhikode.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 7, 2020
Take a look. pic.twitter.com/0kN5jwcwVG
#CalicutAirCrash | In pictures: Air India Express B737 skids off the runway and breaks it into 2 parts. pic.twitter.com/mTdUygAsxC
— #Q8News (@Q8Newsfirst) August 7, 2020
10.37 pm: Around 148 passengers have been rescued and moved to local hospitals, the inspector general of Kozhikode tells Times Now.
10.35 pm: The flight had 174 passengers including 10 infants on board, four crew members and two pilots, ANI quotes the civil aviation ministry as saying.
10.33 pm: The president tweets that he is “deeply distressed” by the “tragic plane crash” and says he has spoken to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan about the situation.
Deeply distressed to hear about the tragic plane crash of Air India Express flight at Kozhikode, Kerala. Spoke to @KeralaGovernor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan and inquired about the situation. Thoughts and prayers with affected passengers, crew members and their families.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 7, 2020
10.29 pm: The co-pilot is also among those dead, reports Hindustan Times.
10.26 pm: These are the Ministry of External Affairs helpline numbers.
We are deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Express Flight No IX 1344 at Kozhikode.
— Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) August 7, 2020
MEA helplines are open 24x7:
📞 1800 118 797
📞 +91 11 23012113
📞+91 11 23014104
📞+91 11 23017905
Fax: +91 11 23018158
Email: covid19@mea.gov.in
10.19 pm: The Kerala DGP tells NDTV that four people are still trapped inside the aircraft.
10.15 pm: Prime Minister Modi expresses his grief at the accident, saying he is “pained” by it. “My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones,” he tweets. He adds that he has spoken to Kerala’s chief minister.
Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Kerala CM @vijayanpinarayi Ji regarding the situation. Authorities are at the spot, providing all assistance to the affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2020
10.09 pm: At least two people including the pilot have died, reports BBC. The toll is likely to go up.
At least two dead, including the pilot, after Air India Express plane skids off runway and breaks in two at airport in Kerala, BBC has been told https://t.co/NFCcJFObgJ
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 7, 2020
10.07 pm: The DGP chief adds that the Kozhikode airport has a “tabletop runway”. Such a runway is one that is located on top of an incline, with both ends that end in steep precipices.
10.04 pm: NDTV says the co-pilot was young and had recently been married, while the captain was a former wing commander in the Indian Air Force.
10.03 pm: NDRF chief SN Pradhan tells ANI that almost all passengers have suffered some injury, and some are unconscious.
We must remember that it is a tabletop runway at Kozhikode. There seems to have been injuries among all the passengers & some of them are unconscious. An NDRF team has been rushed to the spot & should be reaching any time there to join search &rescue operation: NDRF DG SN Pradhan https://t.co/Vgtq7UJuRC pic.twitter.com/Jo4cckfNmk
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
10.02 pm: Air India says help centres are being set up at Dubai and Sharjah, reports ANI.
9.59 pm: Shailaja also confirms that the pilot has died, reports Times Now.
#Breaking | Kerala Health Minister reacts to '#CalicutAirCrash' and confirms that the pilot has succumbed to injuries. pic.twitter.com/2cxVtrLZGO
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 7, 2020
9.56 pm: Health Minister KK Shailaja instructs public and private hospitals to take in injured passengers, reports The New Indian Express. There were multiple young children on the flight.
9.54 pm: The prime minister speaks to Chief Minister Vijayan, reports ANI. Vijayan tells Modi that a team of officials including the district collectors of Kozhikode and Malappuram are at the site of the crash.
PM Narendra Modi spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on phone about Karipur plane crash. CM informed PM that a team of officials including Kozhikode & Malappuram District Collectors & IG Ashok Yadav have arrived at the airport & participating in the rescue operation: Kerala CMO pic.twitter.com/hAMuR0R9Rz
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.51 pm: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says minister AC Moideen will lead the rescue efforts at the airport, ANI reports.
9.47 pm: The Kozhikode administration releases a helpline number.
Relatives of passengers onboard Air India Express Flight (IX 1344) that crashed at Karipur International Airport, can contact the following Helpline Number for enquiries - 0495 - 2376901: Kozhikode Collector. #Kerala https://t.co/8pz0Z00FYu
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.41 pm: “The flight fell down into the valley after landing at Runway 10 of Karipur Airport and broke down in two pieces,” DGCA says. “The visibility was 2,000 meter at the time of landing.”
9.39 pm: The Ministry of Civil Aviation says no fire was reported at the time of the plane’s landing, ANI reports.
9.37 pm: Foreign minister S Jaishankar says the government is ascertaining more details of the incident.
Deeply distressed to hear about the Air India Express tragedy at Kozhikode. Prayers are with the bereaved families and those injured. We are ascertaining further details.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 7, 2020
9.35 pm: Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor expresses grief over the incident.
Watch | "Our hearts go out the families of the passengers and pilots": Shashi Tharoor, MP, Thiruvananthapuram on Air India express plane skidding off the runway at Kozhikode airport#Kerala pic.twitter.com/vAMMu6Ra5M
— NDTV (@ndtv) August 7, 2020
9.32 pm: “We pray for well being of passengers and crew and will keep you updated,” the Consulate General of India in Dubai says.
Air India Express Flight No IX 1344 from Dubai to Calicut skidded off the runway.We pray for well being of passengers and crew and will keep you updated as and when we receive further updates.Our helplines 056 546 3903, 0543090572, 0543090572, 0543090575 @MOS_MEA @IndembAbuDhabi
— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) August 7, 2020
9.30 pm: Air India says 174 passengers, 10 infants, two pilots and five cabin crew members were on board, The Hindu reports.
9.27 pm: More political leaders react to the accident.
Second tragedy of the day in Kerala : Air India Express skids off the run way at Kozhikode, front portion splits , pilot dies and lots of passengers injured . All passengers evacuated. Very lucky the aircraft didn’t catch fire @narendramodi @JPNadda
— Alphons KJ (@alphonstourism) August 7, 2020
Devastating news from Kozhikode, Kerala. I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to an accident carrying several passengers on Air India flight.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 7, 2020
In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Shocked at the devastating news of the plane mishap in Kozhikode. Deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who died in this accident. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 7, 2020
9.25 pm: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says he has directed NDRF teams to reach the spot immediately.
Distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft in Kozhikode, Kerala.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 7, 2020
Have instructed NDRF to reach the site at the earliest and assist with the rescue operations.
9.21 pm: Here are some visuals from outside the Karipur airport.
#WATCH Kerala: Visuals from outside the Karipur Airport, after Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight (IX-1344) with 190 people onboard skidded during landing at the airport. pic.twitter.com/hCimakcNRY
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.20 pm: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directs the police and fire officials to take urgent action. He has also ordered the officials to start rescue operations and bring in medical support, ANI reports.
9.19 pm: NDRF teams have been rushed to the Karipur Airport, ANI reports citing NDRF DIrector General SN Pradhan.
#UPDATE Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are being rushed to Karipur Airport where the Dubai-Kozhikode flight skidded off the runway, for search & rescue: NDRF Director General SN Pradhan https://t.co/XbEAw2GA4o
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.18 pm: The flight broke into two pieces, ANI reports. The DGCA says the visibility was 2000 m at the time of landing.
A Dubai-Kozhikode Air India Express flight fell down into the valley after landing at Runway 10 of Karipur Airport & broke down in two pieces. There were 191 people on board. Visibility was 2000 meter at the time of landing: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
#WATCH Kerala: Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight (IX-1344) with 190 people onboard skidded during landing at Karipur Airport today. (Video source: Karipur Airport official) pic.twitter.com/aX90CYve90
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.15 pm: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter, ANI reports.
#UPDATE Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) orders a detailed inquiry into the matter https://t.co/iiWhSrHGOO
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.10 pm: Photos of the accident on social media showed the plane totally smashed into pieces and debris scattered on the runway.
Kerala: An Air India Express plane skidded during landing at Karipur Airport, Kozhikode. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/TxrQEzxPDV
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
9.05 pm: The flight was coming in from Dubai. The accident happened at 7:45 pm, according to ANI.
Several passengers are said to be injured. More details are awaited.
9 pm: An Air India Express plane skidded off the runway during its landing at the Karipur Airport in Kerala’s Kozhikode city amid heavy rain on Friday. The plane had 190 people on board, according to NDTV.