Community gathers to Air India cabin crew memberpublished at 18:21 British Summer Time
Archana Shukla
India business correspondent
Scores of people have gathered on the road leading up to Air India cabin crew member Maithili Patil’s home in the port village of Nava Sheva, about 40kms out of Mumbai. "We’ve been here since yesterday,” a local told me. “We want to stand by the family.”
Inside the one-room house, nearly 30 women - relatives and neighbours - sat on the floor alongside her father, sister, and grandmother - sharing the grief, while the men kept a silent vigil outside.
It was an extremely touching scene, the entire village was mourning.
Eldest of the three siblings, 23-year-old Maithili was the first girl from the village to become an air hostess, to fly the world, something the whole village was proud of. This was felt as a personal loss to each one of them.

People gather to Air India cabin crew member Maithili Patil
“She used to video call from all the locations she travelled. She told me Aaji (grandma), you also travel with me,” her grandmother recalled. “She started flying international just 7-8 months ago, we all felt very proud, we have seen her grow,” said a neighbour.
Maithili had called home just before take-off. Shortly after, news of the crash broke. Her mother and uncle rushed to Ahmedabad last evening; relatives say they’ve provided DNA samples but are still awaiting word from officials.
Three of Maithili’s friends, together since kindergarten, sat in silence - crying, their tears unending. They didn’t speak, but the sorrow in their eyes was telling.
Her father, sitting next to me, said they are left with only questions. “My daughter was so religious, but where is Krishna (hindu god)? She wanted to study, to fly, now where has she gone?”