The Maharashtra government has decided to accord a state funeral to Captain Deepak Sathe, pilot-in-command of the Air India Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Office said on Tuesday.
The funeral of Captain Sathe, 58, who was a resident of Chandivali in Mumbai, will be held today.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said his life shall inspire young pilots to achieve the 'Sword of Honour'.
The Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two, killing 18 people, including both pilots.
"The State has decided to accord a state funeral to the late Wing Commander (Retd) Captain DV Sathe. His life has been one that shall inspire many more young pilots to achieve the Sword of Honour and command over the skies," the CMO tweeted.