‘Flew With Compassion’: Air India Pays Tribute To Cabin Crew Of Ill-Fated Flight AI-171

Last Updated:June 20, 2025, 11:39 IST

Air India said that crew members' grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground.

On June 12, the London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, killing at least 241 people on board, and several others on the ground. (PTI)

Air India on Friday paid rich tributes to cabin crew members of the ill-fated London-bound Flight AI-171 that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, saying that their grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground.

In a special message, Air India wrote, “With hearts full of sorrow, we remember the cabin crew members we lost – beloved colleagues, cherished friends, and the soul of every journey they were a part of. Their grace, warmth, and unwavering care touched thousands of lives in the skies and on the ground. To passengers, they were calm and comforting faces. To us, they were family."

The airline extended solidarity with their family at this time of immense loss.

“Senior leaders from the Tata Group and Air India continue to stand beside their families and loved ones – to honour their memory, share in their grief, and offer quiet strength in a moment that words cannot ease."

“Their kindness, spirit, and dedication will forever remain a part of who we are. We remember: Aparna Amol Mahadik, Shradha Mahadev Dhavan, Deepak Balasaheb Pathak, Irfan Samir Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Maithili Patil, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, Saineeta Abin Chakravarti, Manisha Thapa and Roshni Rajendra Songhare. You flew with compassion. You will be remembered with love," the post added.

The body of Air India cabin crew Lamnunthem Singson reached her hometown in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday night, after being flown to Dimapur airport in Nagaland. Tragically, another cabin crew member from Manipur, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, who belonged to the Meitei community, also died in the same disaster. Her body is yet to arrive in the state.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash

India witnessed one of its worst aviation tragedies on Thursday after a London-bound Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.

241 out of 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 (AI 171) and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed in the crash.

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kunder. Two senior cabin crew members have been identified as Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik. The other cabin crew members were Saineeta Chakravarti, Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam Sharma, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa.

One person survived the tragedy. The lone survivor was identified as Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who was in a different row inside the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Meanwhile, 211 victims have been identified so far through DNA matching, while 189 bodies are handed over to their families. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or severely damaged.

The aircraft had 232 passengers and 10 crew members, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, on board.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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