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Key Points

The grieving family of British victim Ramesh Patel arrived in Ahmedabad after the Air India crash that claimed 241 lives. His daughter Priti Pandya shared heartbreaking details about their last conversation and vowed never to fly Air India again. The family dismissed compensation offers, questioning how money could replace their lost loved one. Meanwhile, the government formed a high-level committee to investigate the crash and improve aviation safety protocols.

Key Points: Air India crash victim's daughter vows never to fly airline again

  • Daughter reveals last missed call with father before crash
  • Family rejects compensation saying money can't replace lives
  • High-level committee formed to investigate AI-171 crash
  • Victims' relatives describe heartbreaking final conversations
3 min read

Don't think I can ever board an Air India flight in my life: Daughter of Ramesh Patel, who died in AI-171 plane crash

British family grieves Ramesh Patel who died in AI-171 crash as daughter says she can never board Air India again despite compensation offers

"I don't think I can ever board an Air India flight in my life - Priti Pandya, victim's daughter"

Ahmedabad, June 14

The family of British national Ramesh Patel, who died in the Air India-171 plane crash, reached Ahmedabad. The family members remembered him and expressed fear about boarding an Air India flight in future.

Speaking to ANI, Ramesh Patel's daughter Priti Pandya said, "He (her father) came here for nine days. He just came here to eat fruits...he did not come back home. This was the first trip I spoke to him 3-4 times a week, but when he video-called on Tuesday, I was working, and I thought I would call him back, and I never was able to. My sister-in-law spoke to him when he boarded the plane."

"He comes every year to India. He loves India. He has got a house in Gujarat... He loves this country, and he died here...it was meant to be," she added.

Daughter-in-law Kajal Patel told ANI, "Thursday morning, he rang me and said 'Everything is okay, the weight is okay' and I said, 'That's fine, Dad, don't worry'. He said that he won't ring me again, but then he rang me again and said 'I am in the plane safely and it's on time' and I said 'Okay, see you in the evening'...I asked him not to go as it's too hot in India, but he kept saying he wants to go."

Priti Pandya expressed fear of boarding an Air India flight. She said, "While coming to Ahmedabad, Air India was an option, but I don't think I can ever board an Air India flight in my life."

On the compensation announced by the TATA Group, they said, "We will give money, can they bring back our father?"

Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12 crashed moments after takeoff, claiming the lives of 241 people onboard.

Meanwhile, the government has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee for examining the causes that led to the crash of the flight.

"A High-Level Multi-disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future," an order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry read.

The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies and will publish its report within three months.

The committee is headed by the Home Secretary and includes representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Indian Air Force, and aviation experts.

The committee will assess the emergency response of the various stakeholders, including rescue operations and coordination among them. It will also suggest policy changes, operational improvements and training enhancements required to prevent such occurrences and handle post-crash incident situations.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Amit S.
This is heartbreaking 💔 No amount of compensation can replace a loved one. Air India needs to seriously overhaul its safety protocols. As Indians, we deserve better aviation standards.
P
Priya M.
The emotional trauma is understandable, but we must wait for the committee report before judging. Many international airlines have had crashes too - remember MH370? Safety is a global aviation challenge.
R
Rahul K.
My deepest condolences to the family. As an NRI who flies Air India often, this makes me nervous. But I hope the TATA group will implement serious changes - they have the capability to turn things around.
S
Sunita P.
The daughter's pain is so raw in her words - "he just came here to eat fruits..." 😢 This tragedy should be a wake-up call for DGCA to conduct surprise safety audits on all airlines operating in India.
V
Vikram J.
While the grief is understandable, we must remember Air India has had a good safety record until now. The committee includes IAF experts - let's trust their investigation before jumping to conclusions.
N
Neha T.
The real issue is our aviation infrastructure. Ahmedabad airport has had safety concerns before. We need to modernize all tier-2 city airports if we want to prevent such tragedies in future. #SafetyFirst

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