Mumbai: “When I got to know that the aircraft was flying to Gatwick (airport in London), I was sure that it was the aircraft which had Aparna on board. But I was still hopeful. The same night I landed in Mumbai and came to know that none of the crew had survived. I can’t believe it has been one year since then.” As Air India employees, former colleagues, friends and family members gathered in Mumbai on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, Amol Mahadik’s recollection of the day he lost his wife captured the grief that continues to linger within the airline community.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12 last year, killing 260 people. One passenger survived. All 12 crew members died in the accident, 11 of whom were based in Mumbai.
Mahadik, an Air India employee whose wife Aparna was among the cabin crew members on board, recalled being at a training academy when he first learnt that an aircraft had gone down in Ahmedabad.
“By the time I got to the classroom, the news had broken out and I got to know that a plane had gone down in Ahmedabad. I still didn’t think it would be Aparna’s plane, because obviously you don’t think of such things, right?” he said. The memorial service on Friday, attended by serving and retired Air India employees and families of the victims, included multi-faith prayers, hymns, readings and a minute’s silence. The names of the deceased crew members were read out as colleagues remembered them as friends, mentors and dedicated aviation professionals.
A close friend of Shraddha Dhawan, one of the deceased crew members, said the loss is incomparable. “It was particularly heartbreaking when Shraddha’s young daughter, Adya, asked about her mother,” she said, adding that Shraddha had often spoken about working abroad.
Addressing the gathering, Mahadik said, “I would also urge people not to jump to conclusions or place blame on the pilots or crew before the investigation is complete. The crew members we lost were dedicated professionals who took immense pride in their work, and hence they deserve to be remembered with dignity and respect.”
He added that Air India had stood by the affected families over the past one year. “All of the belongings, forensic reports and related documents have been shared with the families. Air India has supported us throughout this difficult period and has been there for the families whenever needed,” he said.
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