Mumbai June 13 (UNI) Having joined the aviation industry just two years ago, Shaikh harboured big dreams that were tragically cut short. The 22-year-old cabin crew member on the ill-fated Air India flight AI171 bound for London, lost his life in the devastating crash near Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 265 people in one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. Shaikh’s family, based in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, is now grappling with the loss.

Irfan’s uncle, Firoz Shaikh, recalled how his nephew always kept his family informed about his flight schedules. “When the news of the crash broke, his mother was devastated knowing he was on that flight,” he said. The family immediately travelled to Ahmedabad, where authorities collected blood samples from Irfan’s elder brother for DNA confirmation of the body.

Irfan began his career in aviation after completing a professional course and initially worked with Vistara. Following the Air India-Vistara merger, he started working on international routes, fulfilling his ambition to excel in the field. “He had big dreams and was determined to succeed, but now all those dreams have been shattered,” his uncle lamented.

Irfan’s father, Salim Shaikh, runs a local shop, while his mother is a homemaker. His elder brother works in the software industry. The family had recently celebrated Eid ul Adha together before the tragedy struck.

According to Air India, among the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. The crew included two pilots and ten cabin members, all of whom were lost in the crash. UNI AAA SSP