Air India co-pilot Clive Kunder laid to rest in Mumbai

Family, friends and neighbours gather in Goregaon to bid farewell to First Officer Kunder, one of the 242 aboard the Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12

Mumbai: The mortal remains of First Officer Clive Kunder, co-pilot of Air India Flight AI-171, were brought to his family home in Goregaon (West) on Thursday and laid to rest at Sewri Christian Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. Kunder, one of 242 people aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, was among nearly all passengers and crew killed when the aircraft struck the B.J. Medical College Hostel complex and erupted in flames.

Earlier in the day, Kunder’s casket arrived at Mumbai airport by flight and was transported to his residence on Ram Mandir Road. The body remained there until 1 p.m., allowing close friends, neighbours and extended family to pay their final respects before the funeral procession moved to Sewri Christian Cemetery.

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Emotional scenes unfolded at Kunder’s home as mourners gathered around his portrait. He lived with his elderly parents and younger sister, who stood inconsolable as his body lay in state. “It felt like a personal loss,” said Sadhiya, a neighbour. “Kunder was a very jolly, lively and happy person. So many people came to pay tributes to him. It shows how lovely a person he was.”

Flight AI-171 had been en route to London’s Gatwick Airport under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a pilot with over 8,200 flying hours. Kunder himself had logged approximately 1,100 hours. Investigators continue to piece together the cause of the crash, which also claimed 33 lives on the ground. Only one passenger miraculously survived.

In the aftermath of the disaster, DNA matching of victims’ remains has proceeded rapidly. Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel reported that as of Wednesday, DNA samples from 206 victims had been matched, and 169 bodies returned to families. Emergency crews are still working to identify the remaining victims.

The loss of Clive Kunder and so many others has sent shockwaves through both the aviation community and his home neighbourhood, where friends and family continue to mourn the young pilot’s tragic end.