Pinky Mali guided youngsters looking to join flight cabin crew before joining private jet company
Pinky Mali
In the early hours of Wednesday, at Prabhadevi, it was business as usual for the Mali family until they switched on the television for their morning news. The harrowing news of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s demise left the family stunned for a minute. Soon, they read their daughter’s name among the dead in a ticker tape below.
The 29-year-old flight attendant from Mumbai, Pinky Mali, was taken by the crash too. The calls started flooding in, and the truth sank in for the family.
Her younger brother, Karan Mali, 24, was already at work when his phone started ringing. His friends intimated to him the incident, and he instantly rang up his sister to check up on her. There was no answer. Karan spoke to his father and rushed back home.
Flight attendant Pinky Mali with Ajit Pawar. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Pinky had boarded the Baramati-bound private plane from Mumbai along with Pawar, his PSO, and two pilots, who were all declared dead shortly after the crash.
“Pinky had been working with the private jet company for about a year,” said Karan. “She had worked with other commercial airlines in the past too, but she met with a bike accident a few years ago, after which she started guiding youngsters who dreamed of being a part of the cabin crew. Soon after, she received an offer with this private jet company and started working there,” Karan added.
Pinki’s brother Karan Mali, 24. Pic/Ashish Raje
Pinky’s father, Shivkumar Mali, was an office-bearer of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for 35 years. After a while, he moved to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), the brother informed.
“Pinky had flown with Ajit Dada in the past too. She would bring up our father’s affiliation with the party while talking to him. This morning, when I went to work, some of my friends called to ask whether she was okay, since they knew that she travelled with him, too,” said Karan.
Now residing in Worli’s Century Bazar MHADA buildings, the family formerly resided in the slums of Gopal Nagar. Despite all difficulties, Pinky persevered and remained adamant on her aim of becoming the flight attendant. After her career with the airlines, she hoped to counsel underprivileged aviation aspirants free of cost and told her family the same on a phone call last night. Married in 2021, without children, Pinky resided in Kalwa and is survived by her husband, Somvikar Saini.
“Last night, she told us that she was flying to Baramati and planned to check into a hotel in Nanded, after which she would ring us again. She was very mindful about our journey from the slums to where we are today and hoped to set up an academy where she could guide more underprivileged youth into this industry too,” said Shivkumar Mali while talking to mid-day.
29
Age of Flight attendant Pinky Mali
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