Shabana Azmi says Air India has the ‘best in-flight service in the world’ as she heads to Wimbledon with Javed Akhtar

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar are headed to London. She praised Air India and its services in a new post a month after the AI171 tragedy.

Published on: Jul 8, 2025, 18:42:02 IST

By Santanu Das

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The recent crash of the London-bound flight AI171 in Ahmedabad has cast a shadow of doubt and mistrust on Air India. Now, veteran actor Shabana Azmi has shared a picture with her husband, lyricist Javed Akhtar, as the two of them chose Air India to travel to London. Shabana was all praise for Air India, reiterating ‘faith’ in the airline service. (Also read: Actor Kanwaljit Singh takes Air India flight a month after AI171 tragedy, says ‘will bana di hai’)

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar are headed to London to attend the prestigious Wimbledon tennis championship.

Shabana's note on Air India

In the picture shared on her X account on Tuesday afternoon, Shabana and Javed were seen smiling for a picture together on the flight. The two of them were seated in their assigned seats on the flight. In the caption, Shabana tagged Javed and wrote, “Off to #London for @Wimbledon on ⁦@airindia. Reiterating faith in our National carrier with the best inflight service in the world !”

Air India's official X account replied, “Dear Ms. Azmi, Thank you for choosing to fly with us. Wishing you a wonderful time at Wimbledon and a truly comfortable journey with us.”

Earlier, actor Raveena Tandon had posted on Instagram to show her faith in Air India, sharing that she recently chose to fly with the airline. Raveena wrote in the caption, “New Beginnings … to rise and fly again against all odds … to pick up and start all over, new resolve towards greater strength. The atmosphere solemn and the crews welcoming smiles, tinted with sadness. The Silent passengers and crew bonding with unspoken condolences and subtle confidence. Condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones. A wound that will never heal. Godspeed always @airindia . Fearless and a will To overcome and be strong again.”

About the Air India plane crash

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a medical college hostel in Meghaninagar on June 12, moments after takeoff. The disaster claimed 241 lives, including 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, as the sole survivor with minor injuries.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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