Irfan Samir Shaikh, one of the cabin crew members of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, had joined the aviation industry only two years ago and had big dreams, which are now shattered, his uncle Firoz Shaikh said, while speaking to the news agency IANS.
"This is a very tragic incident. As soon as the plane crashed yesterday, we immediately knew that Irfan was on that plane. Before boarding, he spoke to his mother and told her he was taking this flight. His mother realized right away that he was on that flight," he said further.
Irfan's uncle said his nephew always made it a point to inform his parents about his flight roster. After the incident, Irfan's mother, father and elder brother immediately flew to Ahmedabad.
22-year-old Irfan's family resides in Pimpri Chinchwad area near Pune city. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft AI-171 with 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed into the complex of a medical college moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The horrific crash left 265 people dead.
His uncle said Irfan joined the aviation industry as a cabin crew member two years ago after completing an institute course. He initially worked with Vistara, and after the Air India-Vistara merger, he began flying on international routes.
"Irfan had big dreams and was determined to excel in the field. But now, all those dreams have been shattered," he added. According to him, Irfan's father, Salim Shaikh, runs a shop, his mother is a homemaker, and his elder brother works in a software firm. Irfan had visited his home for Bakrid, he said.
According to Air India, of the 230 passengers on the flight, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Two pilots and 10 crew members were the other 12 people on board.