Vaibhav Patel, 29, and his 27-year-old and seven-month-pregnant wife Jinal Goswami had travelled to India for their baby shower with family in Ahmedabad.
The 29-year-old had worked at the Papa Johns in Portswood and the couple had recently moved from Southampton to Croydon.
The couple’s funeral was held in India on Monday and friend, Nirav Patel, said the news of the crash and death of the couple came as a ‘huge shock to him and all of the family in India.’
Nirav, who currently lives in Southampton, said he knew Vaibhav from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and the pair had been close friends for around a decade – speaking to each other regularly.
Speaking to the BBC, Nirav said: “He had rung me two days before the flight to tell me he was coming home.
“We were very good friends and had so much fun together… many trips around India, like to Goa or Rajasthan. This is a massive loss.
“When he worked in Southampton I saw him a lot. We worked together at Papa Johns in Portswood.”
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The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take off on June 12, 2025, killing 229 passengers, 12 crew members and at least a further 30 people on the ground as the plane landed on a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad.
After taking off at 13:10 local time, the plane was scheduled for a ten hour flight to London Gatwick.
Nirav continued: “The couple were in Ahmedabad to celebrate their own baby shower. It was on June 5. She was seven months pregnant. They were very happy.
“Vaibhav did not have a father, so he was the big son supporting the family back in India.”
Harshil Thakar said his ex-employee was a “true gentleman” and that Vaibhav “worked very hard and was a family man”.
