Air India plane crash: Hundreds join cabin crew member Roshni Songhare’s funeral

Roshni Songhare, 26, a cabin crew member of flight AI 171, began her career with SpiceJet after completing her cabin crew training course in Mumbai’s Andheri

Published on: Jun 19, 2025, 16:20:02 IST

By Niraj Pandit

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Hundreds of people, including politicians and Air India officials, on Thursday gathered in Mumbai’s Dombivli for the funeral of Roshni Songhare, 26, a cabin crew member of flight AI 171, which crashed seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad last week. “We will miss her smile forever,” said a neighbour, echoing the mourners.

Roshni Songhare, 26, was a cabin crew member of flight AI 171. (PTI)

Songhare’s mother, Rajshree, collapsed upon seeing her daughter’s coffin. A domestic worker, Rajshree raised Songhare and her younger brother, Vignesh, in a cramped 10x10-foot home in Mumbai’s Walkeshwar.

Songhare’s uncle, Praveen Sukhdere, said his niece always wanted to fly. “She was independent and full of dreams. Her parents gave everything they had to support her aspirations.”

Born and raised in Walkeshwar, Songhare completed her schooling from Saraswati School on Mumbai’s Grant Road and graduated from Sant Gadge Maharaj College in Girgaon. Songhare began her career with SpiceJet after completing her cabin crew training course in Andheri. She joined Air India in 2024 after a three-year stint with SpiceJet.

One of the colleagues, who attended the funeral, said Songhare will be remembered for her vibrant and cheerful presence. “She always had a smile on her face. Even on the toughest days, she kept everyone’s spirits high.”

Songhare dabbled in modelling and was a social media influencer, with over 60,000 followers. “She used to feature us in her videos. We felt proud to see ourselves with her. It is hard to believe she is gone,” said another colleague, fighting back tears.

Her brother, Vignesh, said Songhare visited their native Mandsangad village in Ratnagiri district for a local festival a week before the crash. “She met everyone and said goodbye before returning. None of us imagined it would be her last visit.”

Vishu Pednekar, a former corporator who attended the funeral, said they were proud to have an air hostess from their area. “I was shocked when I received the call confirming her death. She was loved by everyone here.”

Former minister Jagannath Patil, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mandar Halbe, Kalyan (rural) assembly member, Tata Sons CFO Saurabh Agarwal, and Air India cabin crew operations head NG Ju Li were among those who attended the funeral.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Niraj Pandit
Niraj Pandit is a journalist based in Mumbai who has spent than two decades working in reporting and editing. He is currently employed by Hindustan Times. At Hindustan Times he focuses on education, higher education, public policy and civic issues in Maharashtra. For years he has covered schools, universities, entrance exams, education reforms and government policies. He has also covered civic and infrastructure topics. Before joining Hindustan Times in 2022 he was with known Marathi newspapers such as Loksatta, Lokmat, and Maharashtra Times. He worked in reporting, editing and newsroom leadership roles. His work has included stories about education, science and technology government operations and public interest topics. He has reported on subjects such as IIT Bombay and the universities, school education, exam reforms and state education policies. His reporting has always aimed to create fact-based stories that make complicated public issues easy to understand.Read More

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