Travel-loving couple in Air India crash were heading to London for summer vacation

Agra, Jun 13 (PTI) Neeraj Lavania and his wife Aparna were among the 241 souls onboard flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London who died when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12. The couple shared a passion for travelling and were known to take frequent sojourns during the summer. And this year, their chosen destination was London.

Neeraj (50) and Aparna (49) are survived by their 18-year-old daughter, who might have joined them on the trip, however, stayed back to accompany her 70-year-old grandmother, who lives alone. The teenager, who is in her final year of university, has since travelled to Ahmedabad for DNA sampling.

Neeraj, who worked for a private company, moved to Vadodara, Gujarat from his ancestral home in Akola, Agra in 1995.

Known for his jovial and kind nature, Neeraj left a lasting impression on his neighbours in Akola, which is why the news of his passing devastated the entire town, even though many had not seen him in years.

Speaking to PTI, Neeraj's brother Satish recalled his last conversation with his brother before he took off on his much-awaited vacation.

"I spoke to my brother Neeraj at 1.30 pm and he told me that he was going to London," Satish said, adding how he was left rattled when he saw the news of the plane crash flashing on TV screens.

The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.38 pm.

Neeraj and Aparna were scheduled to return home on June 28.

Lok Sabha MP from Fatehpur Sikri, Rajkumar Chahar, spoke to PTI after visiting Akola, Neeraj's hometown.

"Neeraj and his wife, Aparna, were on the flight. Their seats were 26A and 26B," he stated.

Air India confirmed that all but one of the 242 people onboard the London-bound flight were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 242 passengers and crew members, comprising 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and one Canadian citizen.

"We regret to inform that of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities," the airline said in a statement issued late Thursday.

The sole survivor is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 45-year-old British national of Indian origin, whose tale of survival has left the world in disbelief. PTI COR MAN NAV MPL MPL