AHMEDABAD: On the first anniversary of the Ahmedabad plane crash, the voices of grieving families have grown louder than ever. Compensation, condolences and official assurances have done little to ease a pain that remains frozen in time. For those who lost their loved ones, June 12 is not merely the date of a tragedy, it is the day life came to a standstill, leaving behind unanswered questions, unfinished conversations and an endless wait for justice.
Among the countless families shattered by the crash is the Padsala family of Amreli. Geetaben Padsala had accompanied her daughter, Riddhi, and other family members to the airport as she prepared to return to London. Like any mother bidding goodbye to her child, Geetaben had no reason to believe those moments would become her last memories of her daughter.
After completing the airport formalities, Riddhi comforted her tired family members, saying, "You have all been awake the entire night. Go home and take some rest. I will sleep during the flight and call you after I reach London."
Holding on to those words, the family started their journey home. But before they could even reach Amreli, horrifying news began to spread that the London-bound Air India flight had crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad.
The family's desperate hope that some passengers might have survived slowly faded into a painful reality.
Since many victims could not be identified, relatives were asked to provide DNA samples. The wait stretched on for five agonising days before Riddhi's body was finally handed over to the family. Her mortal remains were brought back to Amreli, where thousands gathered to bid a final farewell to a young woman whose dreams ended within minutes of boarding the aircraft.
Even after a year, Geetaben says the grief remains as raw as it was on the day of the tragedy. "We do not want sympathy and we do not want financial help. We only want to know why this accident happened. The black box data should be made public and the truth should come out. If the real reason is known, perhaps no other family will have to suffer what we are going through," she says.
Her grief has been compounded by another deeply personal wound. Geetaben alleges that the financial assistance announced after her daughter's death was received by her son-in-law, who has since rebuilt his life.
Speaking about her pain, she says, "After my daughter died, whatever assistance came went to my son-in-law. Within six months, he remarried and even had a pre-wedding photoshoot. We have lost everything. Our daughter was the heart and happiness of our home, and she was taken away from us forever. Nothing can fill the emptiness she has left behind."
For Geetaben, however, the greatest loss cannot be measured in money. She says no compensation can replace a daughter whose final promise was to call home after landing safely in London. Riddhi had married a young man from Rajkot who had settled in London. She had returned to Gujarat to spend time with her family and was travelling back to resume her life abroad. That future never arrived.
The Ahmedabad air disaster devastated several families from Amreli district. Six people from the district lost their lives, including a couple and another young man who had travelled to Gujarat to attend his wife's funeral and was returning to London.
For each family, the story was painfully similar long hours outside hospitals, repeated checks of passenger lists, DNA identification procedures and hope gradually giving way to heartbreak.
The Syed family of Ahmedabad continues to carry a similar burden. Four members of the family, Nafisa Syed, her husband Syed Inayat Ali and their two children had come from London to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with relatives. Their return journey became their final one. Muzaffar Syed, who had booked their tickets, recalls rushing towards the airport immediately after hearing about the crash.
"I kept checking the flight number because I could not believe the news. Then I went to Civil Hospital and searched for their names for hours. Later, we learnt that almost everyone had died. We visited the hospital every day and finally received their bodies on the tenth day," he says.
He believes no amount of compensation can replace the lives that were lost. "Four members of my family are gone. My father remembers them every day and breaks down. We no longer celebrate family occasions. We are surviving only with their memories and waiting for the final investigation report," he says.
The tragedy also changed the lives of the Mehsana District of Gujarat's Patel family forever. Sixty-year-old Dineshbhai Patel and his wife Krishnaben were travelling to London to meet their son Vikram after years of sacrifice and separation. Dineshbhai had spent years working hard to educate his son and help him build a better future overseas. That dream ended with the crash.
Unable to control his emotions, Vikram says, "My father stayed away from me for seven years so that I could build a future. I wanted to show him the world, but I could not even welcome him. The visa was approved and everything was ready, but fate shattered our dream." The loss forced Vikram and his wife to leave London and return to India permanently.
"After losing the protection of parents, life never feels complete. The foundation of our family has collapsed," he says.
As the first anniversary approaches, another issue has brought many victim families together. Plans to construct a new building at the crash site have triggered opposition from relatives who believe redevelopment should wait until the complete truth about the disaster is established. Their demand remains clear and consistent. "Release the complete black box report. Tell us what caused the crash. Do not erase the place before the truth comes out."
Many bereaved families say accountability matters more than compensation. They want those responsible to be identified and aviation safety systems strengthened to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.
The disaster has also led to emotional divisions within some affected families. Relatives of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who also lost his life in the crash, have reportedly expressed differing opinions over issues relating to compensation and the ongoing investigation, with some choosing to wait for the official findings.
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI-171, bound for London, crashed within minutes of taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The disaster claimed 260 lives, including 241 passengers and crew members, along with 19 people on the ground near a medical facility. Only one passenger survived.
One year later, the debris has been cleared and the crash site is slowly returning to normal, but for the families of the victims, the tragedy remains unfinished. They are not demanding miracles. They are asking for answers.
And until the final investigation reveals the truth behind the disaster, many believe that the last phone call they were promised by their loved ones is still waiting to be answered.