Divine delays: How seven lives dodged the Air India disaster

On June 12th, fate intervened for seven individuals scheduled to board Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London, which tragically crashed. A mother's plea, visa issues, a sudden feeling of unease, traffic delays, and business obligations all conspired to keep them off the ill-fated flight, unknowingly saving their lives from impending disaster.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
A mother's tears
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Turned away at the gate
A feeling he couldn't name
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Stopped by the streets
The business that bought time
A seat deferred
Fate doesn't always arrive with a thunderclap. Sometimes, it slips quietly into our lives—a mother's trembling voice, an unexpected traffic jam, a phone call made without reason. On June 12, seven people who were meant to be aboard Air India Flight 171 discovered just how loud a whisper from destiny can be, reported TOI.The flight, which was to take off from Ahmedabad en route to London, never made it. And for these would-be passengers, a twist of timing, intuition, or sheer inconvenience became the line between life and death.According to the report, Yaman Vyas had everything ready. After two years working in the UK, the warehouse employee was concluding a long-overdue visit to his family in Vadodara. His return ticket to London was confirmed, his documents in order, and his bags packed.Then, as he prepared to leave for the airport, his mother broke down. 'Thhoda divas rokai jaa ne, beta,' she said.Her voice, heavy with emotion, cut through his resolve. His father quietly echoed her plea. In that moment, Yaman made a snap decision—he cancelled his flight.Later that day, the news broke. 'My phone started buzzing with messages about the crash. I just stood there, stunned. My mother's tears had saved my life.'For Jaimin Patel, 29, and Priya Patel, 25, their flight to London was meant to mark the start of a joyful vacation with a friend abroad, TOI noted. Their visas were sorted, their bags packed, said the news outlet. But when they reached the Air India check-in counter, things unraveled.Airline staff flagged discrepancies in their paperwork. Without clearance, they couldn't issue boarding passes.The couple pleaded, insisting there wasn't time to resolve the issue before departure. The staff refused to budge. 'We begged them,' Jaimin said. 'We were so angry, so frustrated. We just wanted to board the plane.'After a tense hour at the airport, they returned home—defeated.Then the phone rang.'A friend said, 'Turn on the TV—now.' When I saw the news, I couldn't breathe. That plane we were desperate to board… it had crashed. I've never been so thankful for being denied something," she told TOI.Savji Timbadia had seat 1A reserved, TOI reported. His bags were packed, his mind set on visiting his son in London. But early that morning, a quiet discomfort crept in. There was no panic, no warning—just unease.He picked up the phone and called his son. 'I said I wouldn't be coming. I didn't feel like flying today,' he recalled. 'He asked why, but I had no answer. I just felt off," he told TOI.When he later turned on the television, his inexplicable hesitation made perfect sense. 'I realised what that feeling meant. Lord Swaminarayan saved me.'Bhoomi Chauhan was running late. Ahmedabad's infamous traffic had thrown her journey to the airport into chaos. Detours, bottlenecks, jams—by the time she arrived, it was 12:20 p.m. The boarding gates had closed at 12:10.She pleaded with the staff. They were unmoved.Heartbroken and angry, Bhoomi turned around and began the long journey back to Bharuch. Minutes later, the crash was all over the news.'I couldn't believe it. Ten minutes of traffic changed everything. I was leaving my son behind in India—I think Ganpati Bappa kept me back.'Jayesh Thakkar is known in Vadodara as the man behind some of the city's biggest garba events. He had every intention of boarding AI 171. But business took him to Kolkata, and delays there made it impossible to return in time.'I realised I wouldn't make it, so I rebooked for later,' he said. That logistical hiccup—frustrating at the time—turned out to be a life-saving decision.Ravji Patel had been through enough, noted TOI. In May, he lost his daughter Bharti to cancer. Her husband, Arjun Patoliya, was flying back to their daughters—ages 8 and 4—in London, after completing her final rites.Arjun asked Ravji to come along, to help him cope, to see the girls. 'He wanted me to come, but I had work here,' Ravji said softly. 'I promised I'd fly out in two weeks. He agreed," he told the news outlet.Now, barely 20 days after losing his daughter, Ravji was left to mourn his son-in-law too.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Economic Times

33 minutes ago

• Economic Times

Air India trims narrowbody flights after earlier reduction; check affected routes

Air India has announced a temporary reduction in its flight operations. This includes a cut of less than 5% to its narrowbody flights. Earlier, the airline reduced international services by 15%. Effective immediately, operations on three routes will be suspended. Frequencies on 19 domestic and short-haul international routes will also decrease. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Routes temporarily suspended until 15 July 2025: Bengaluru–Singapore (AI2392/2393) – 7x weekly – 7x weekly Pune–Singapore (AI2111/2110) – 7x weekly – 7x weekly Mumbai–Bagdogra (AI551/552) – 7x weekly Routes with reduced frequencies until 15 July 2025: Bengaluru–Chandigarh : 14x to 7x weekly : 14x to 7x weekly Delhi–Bengaluru : 116x to 113x weekly : 116x to 113x weekly Delhi–Mumbai : 176x to 165x weekly : 176x to 165x weekly Delhi–Kolkata : 70x to 63x weekly : 70x to 63x weekly Delhi–Coimbatore : 13x to 12x weekly : 13x to 12x weekly Delhi–Goa (Dabolim) : 14x to 7x weekly : 14x to 7x weekly Delhi–Goa (Mopa) : 14x to 7x weekly : 14x to 7x weekly Delhi–Hyderabad : 84x to 76x weekly : 84x to 76x weekly Delhi–Indore : 21x to 14x weekly : 21x to 14x weekly Delhi–Lucknow : 28x to 21x weekly : 28x to 21x weekly Delhi–Pune : 59x to 54x weekly : 59x to 54x weekly Mumbai–Ahmedabad : 41x to 37x weekly : 41x to 37x weekly Mumbai–Bengaluru : 91x to 84x weekly : 91x to 84x weekly Mumbai–Kolkata : 42x to 30x weekly : 42x to 30x weekly Mumbai–Coimbatore : 21x to 16x weekly : 21x to 16x weekly Mumbai–Kochi : 40x to 34x weekly : 40x to 34x weekly Mumbai–Goa (Dabolim) : 34x to 29x weekly : 34x to 29x weekly Mumbai–Hyderabad : 63x to 59x weekly : 63x to 59x weekly Mumbai–Varanasi: 12x to 7x weekly Air India on Sunday announced a temporary reduction of less than 5% to its narrowbody flight operations, following an earlier 15% cut to its international services operated by widebody aircraft. Effective immediately until at least July 15, 2025, the Tata-owned airline will suspend operations on three routes and reduce frequencies on 19 domestic and short-haul international move, which the Tata-owned air carrier described as voluntary, is aimed at enhancing network-wide operational stability and minimising last-minute disruptions for passengers."This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on three routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025," Air India said in an official statement on social media platform the cuts, Air India noted that it will continue to operate nearly 600 daily narrowbody flights across 120 domestic and regional international the airline is offering options including re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary rescheduling, or full refunds, for passengers impacted by the move.'We apologise to the passengers affected by these curtailments,' said the carrier said in the statement. 'We remain committed to restoring our full schedule as soon as practicable, while at all times prioritising the safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft.'Moreover, the revised flight schedule is being made available on Air India's website ( ), mobile app, and contact centre, the statement the other hand, Air India had announced on June 18 that it will temporarily reduce its international widebody flight operations by 15% over the coming decision came in the wake of the recent crash of flight AI171 and is part of a broader effort to stabilise operations and uphold the highest safety airline cited several overlapping challenges behind the move, including mandatory safety inspections, regional night-time airspace curfews, ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and a more cautious approach being taken by both engineering and cockpit reduction was put into effect immediately and is expected to remain in place until at least mid-July, similar to the reduction of its narrowbody services announced on Sunday.

Mint

an hour ago

• Mint

Air India cuts up to 5% of its narrow-body aircraft services on 21 routes effective till 15 July 2025: Check full list

Air India on Sunday, 22 June 2025, announced its plans to reduce the airline's narrow-body aircraft operations across 21 routes (including suspension of services in three routes and a reduction in 19 routes), according to an official statement from the Tata Group-owned carrier. 'Following previous announcements of temporary reductions in Air India's widebody international services, the airline today announced temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrowbody network,' said the company in the official statement. According to the statement, the changes in the flight schedules will be effective until 15 July 2025. The company also apologised to the passengers who would be affected and said that the travellers would be accommodated on alternative flights, with complimentary rescheduling or full refunds as per their preferences. 'The revised schedule is being progressively made available on our website, mobile app and through our contact centre,' said Air India in the statement. Air India's voluntary cut down in its narrow-body aircraft services will come through as a reduction of the frequency across 19 routes, and a temporary suspension of operations across three routes. 1. Bengaluru-Singapore (AI2392/2393): 7x weekly flights 2. Pune-Singapore (AI2111/2110): 7x weekly flights 3. Mumbai-Bagdogra (AI551/552): 7x weekly flights 1. Bengaluru-Chandigarh: Reduced from 14x to 7x per week 2. Delhi-Bengaluru: Reduced from 116x to 113x per week 3. Delhi-Mumbai: Reduced from 176x to 165x per week 4. Delhi-Kolkata: Reduced from 70x to 63x per week 5. Delhi-Coimbatore: Reduced from 13x to 12x per week 6. Delhi-Goa (Dabolim): Reduced from 14x to 7x per week 7. Delhi-Goa (Mopa): Reduced from 14x to 7x per week 8. Delhi-Hyderabad: Reduced from 84x to 76x per week 9. Delhi-Indore: Reduced from 21x to 14x per week 10. Delhi-Lucknow: Reduced from 28x to 21x per week 11. Delhi-Pune: Reduced from 59x to 54x per week 12. Mumbai-Ahmedabad: Reduced from 41x to 37x per week 13. Mumbai-Bengaluru: Reduced from 91x to 84x per week 14. Mumbai-Kolkata: Reduced from 42x to 30x per week 15. Mumbai-Coimbatore: Reduced from 21x to 16x per week 16. Mumbai-Kochi: Reduced from 40x to 34x per week 17. Mumbai-Goa (Dabolim): Reduced from 34x to 29x per week 18. Mumbai-Hyderabad: Reduced from 63x to 59x per week 19. Mumbai-Varanasi: Reduced from 12x to 7x per week

The Hindu

an hour ago

• The Hindu

Air India to temporarily reduce flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes

Air India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said it will temporarily reduce 118 weekly flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes and suspend services on three routes. The announcement comes days after the Tata Group-owned carrier said it will cut international flights operated with wide-body planes by 15% temporarily. In a statement, the airline said it is going for "temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrow-body network". #ImportantUpdate Following previous announcements of temporary reductions in Air India's widebody international services, the airline today announced temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrowbody network. This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of… — Air India (@airindia) June 22, 2025 "This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on 3 routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025," it said. Seven-weekly flights on three routes -- Bengaluru-Singapore, Pune-Singapore and Mumbai-Bagdogra (AI551/552) -- will be suspended till at least July 15. Flights on various other routes, including Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Mumbai, will be reduced. According to the airline, the reductions are aimed at strengthening Air India's network-wide operational stability and minimising last-minute inconvenience to passengers.