Air India Plane Crash: Mortal Remains of Co-pilot Clive Kundar Reaches Mumbai, Being Taken for Last Rites

The mortal remains of Clive Kunder, co-pilot of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, reached Mumbai, his hometown, on Thursday morning.

His last rites will be conducted today. A video shared by news agency ANI showed that relatives and friends have gathered outside his house to pay their last respect. 

About Clive Kunder

First Officer Clive Kunder was the co-pilot of the ill-fated Air India flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad. He joined Air India in 2017 and had an experience of 13 years in the aviation industry.

Kunder went to Bombay Flying Club’s College of Aviation after realising his passion for flying. He went to Paris later to undergo an airline pilot training programme.

He had accumulated 1,100 hours of flying experience.

About Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, involved in the Ahmedabad crash, is a wide-body aircraft designed for long-haul international travel. It features dual aisles and has the capacity to carry between 200 and 500 passengers.

Air India's Recent Announcements

On Wednesday, Air India announced that it will reduce its international operations using wide-body aircraft by 15%, citing ongoing operational challenges following the crash of flight AI171.

The airline stated that the move aims to maintain operational stability, improve efficiency, and minimize inconvenience to passengers.

The reduction, which will primarily affect routes served by Boeing 787 Dreamliners, will be implemented gradually by June 20 and is expected to remain in effect until at least mid-July.

“Air India has decided to reduce its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15% for the next few weeks... This effectively adds to our reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions,” the airline said.

66 Air India Flights Cancelled

Following the tragedy in Ahmedabad, numerous Air India flights have been cancelled, diverted, or delayed, mostly due to technical issues.

Since the crash of AI171 on June 12, the airline has cancelled 66 flights that were scheduled to operate with Boeing 787s.

The Dreamliner is a key component of Air India’s long-haul fleet and is primarily deployed on high-capacity international routes.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm on June 12.

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