This Gujarat Couple Cancelled June 6 London Plan, Booked Doomed Air India Flight

News18

9 hours ago

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The Patel couple, belonging to Gujarat's NRI city Anand, was not originally scheduled to travel on June 12.
The devastating Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad earlier this week, which claimed over 260 lives, has thrown up various untold and heartbreaking stories. Among the deceased, one such family was that of Monali Patel and her husband, Sunny Patel, who boarded the doomed flight and lost their lives.
The Patel couple, belonging to Gujarat's NRI city Anand, was not originally scheduled to travel on June 12. They had earlier booked their flight for June 6, due to some personal reasons, the couple delayed their journey and booked the ill-fated plane of June 12.
According to a report by NDTV, 33 people from Anand died in the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash.
Speaking with the news outlet, a close relative of the couple, Jignesh Patel, who lives in Gana village, 3 km away from Anand, said that Monali was undergoing medical treatment and Sunny had taken leave from his work in London in order to take care of his wife.
'They had been here for the last two months. Monali was undergoing medical treatment. Sunny had taken time off from his business in London to be with her," Jignesh said.
Jignesh mentioned how Monali, whom he considered his own real sister, shared their updates while the couple was going through the check-in procedures. Additionally, Monali also said 'goodbye' to Jignesh and his wife, without knowing it was their final adieu.
According to Jignesh, Monali completed her check-in procedures at the Ahmedabad airport by 11 am. She kept in touch with Jignesh and his wife until moments before boarding.
'She sent me a message at 1:20 pm. She told my wife that everything was cleared, all was well, and she gave us her blessings. Then she said goodbye," he said.
At the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, where the bodies of victims are being identified, Mukesh Patel gave a DNA sample in the hope of confirming his daughter's body. The family has been told it could take up to 72 hours for the results.
Monali and Sunny were married seven years ago. Their wedding, which Jignesh had hoped to attend, was held in London. 'I couldn't go because of visa issues," he said. 'She came to me just before she left for her wedding shopping. She said she wished I could come."
Since then, Sunny had travelled to India several times, including a long visit during the COVID-19 lockdown when international air traffic was disrupted. 'He stayed here for six months then. He loved India and always said he wanted to return again and again," Jignesh said.
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.
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.
The aircraft had 232 passengers and 10 crew members, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, on board.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said the aircraft piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hours of experience and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of experience made a mayday call just before the crash.
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 09:32 IST