AI plane crash: Last rites of crew member Irfan Shaikh held in Pimpri-Chinchwad
Jun 22, 2025 06:50 AM IST
Relatives and friends gave an emotional farewell to Irfan Shaikh, crew member of the ill-fated Air India-171 flight that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, as his remains were laid to rest at Pimpri-Chinchwad 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 family includes his grandparents, parents, and brother. (HT PHOTO)
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 family includes his grandparents, parents, and brother.
The final rites were held at Hazrat Bilal burial ground in Nehrunagar in the presence of family, neighbours, friends, and leaders from across political parties at around 9.30 am.
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 12. 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 at a private institute in Pune. He initially worked with Vistara, and after the Air India-Vistara merger, he began flying on international routes. Irfan's father Salim Shaikh runs a small shop in Tukaramnagar and his brother works in a software company,' said Firoz Shaikh, Irfan's relative.
The youngster had big dreams and was determined to excel in the field, but the crash shattered all those dreams, he said.
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Time of India
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