AI plane crash: Last rites of crew member held near Pune

Sat, 21 June 2025
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11:22
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Relatives and friends gave an emotional farewell to Irfan Shaikh, a crew member of the ill-fated Air India that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, as his remains were laid to rest at Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra on Saturday. 

The Shaikh family received 22-year-old Irfan's remains after a DNA match on Friday, and they were brought to Pune in the early hours of the day. 

The final rites were held at a graveyard in Nehru Nagar in the presence of family, neighbours, friends, and leaders from across political parties. 

Irfan was on board the London-bound Air India flight, AI 171, that crashed into a building in a medical college complex moments after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 21. 

A total of 241 persons on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were killed in the crash, along with 29 others on the ground. 

"Irfan joined the aviation industry as a cabin crew member two years ago after completing a course. He initially worked with Vistara, and after the Air India-Vistara merger, he began flying on international routes," a relative said. 

The youngster had big dreams and was determined to excel in the field, but the crash shattered all those dreams, he added. -- PTI