Irfan Samir Shaikh, just 22 years old, was a junior cabin crew member with Air India, recently promoted to international routes following the airline’s merger with Vistara.
Originally from Sant Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri-Chinchwad (Pune), Irfan had worked tirelessly to enter the aviation industry. After completing a cabin crew diploma course in Pune, he began his career at Vistara and was later absorbed into Air India, where he had just started flying long-haul international flights.
On June 12, 2025, Irfan boarded Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. It was only his third day back on duty after taking a short Eid break with his family.
That flight, filled with pride and promise, would tragically be his last.
“He messaged me before boarding and said he’d call me once he landed,” — his mother shared with Navbharat Times. “But that call never came.”
Relatives told Times of India and NDTV that Irfan was deeply connected to his family. He never boarded or landed without sending a message home. He was especially proud to be on international duty that day—his first flight to London.
When news of the crash broke, his family rushed to Ahmedabad. His uncle later told NDTV:
“We still hadn’t believed it until we saw his name on the list. He was just starting his life. We were waiting for him to come home after this trip.”
Due to the severity of the crash, many victims had to be identified through DNA testing. Irfan’s remains were among them. Only one passenger survived the tragedy.
At work, Irfan was known for his humility and quiet professionalism. One of his former instructors at the Pune aviation training center told CNN-IBN:
“He was the kind of student who stayed back to ask extra questions. He didn’t just want to pass—he wanted to be great.”
He treated flying not just as a job, but as a calling. A colleague posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“He treated every passenger like family. He used to say, ‘Comfort and calm — that’s my job at 35,000 feet.’”
Irfan didn’t get to celebrate his next birthday. He didn’t get to call his mother. He didn’t get to see London—the city he was so excited to visit.
But he mattered. He mattered to his family, to his friends, to his coworkers, to the passengers he served—and now, to all of us who hear his story.
May we carry his memory as a reminder that behind every uniform and every seat number is a person with a heart full of dreams.
Rest in peace, Irfan.
Sources: Times of India; NDTV India; Navbharat Times; CNN-IBN archives