Scared of flying after Air India tragedy? You are not alone

Reports of the deaths, amplified by non-stop social media visuals, videos, commentary and user chatter, has embedded the fear of flying deep within even those who are usually nonchalant during takeoff. This has prompted many of them to cancel travel plans, dump Air India tickets, or avoid the same make of aircraft (Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner) as the ill-fated AI171. 

It has also sent several people scurrying for medical attention and psychological support, according to medical practitioners and aviation experts Mint spoke with.

K. Dinesh, a retired wing commander with the Indian Air Force, who now runs Cockpit Vista, a flight anxiety treatment centre in Bengaluru, said there has been a manifold increase in the inquiries he has received since the accident.

Also read | DGCA orders Air India to conduct immediate checks of all Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft

“Usually, I get around 10 consultation calls a month," said Dinesh, adding that he has already received more than 100 calls for consultation in the one week since the tragedy. Apart from new clients, many older ones, too, have reached out to him following a loss of confidence in flying.

“You will see people cancelling tickets, cancelling Boeing 787 travel tickets, cancelling Air India tickets," said Dinesh. “Some people are absolutely not travelling at all."

Google Trends show that ‘Air India’ was the second-most searched term in the country over the past week with more than 5 million queries. Searches for terms like ‘is flying safe’, ‘is Boeing safe’ and ‘is Air India safe’ hit new peaks, the data show.

On social media, people posted about their fears in the aftermath of the accident. Many users on X claimed to have cancelled their planned air travel following the accident.

“I was supposed to fly out to Seoul tonight on flight AI312, however after the terrible tragedy today involving your airlines and the same type of aircraft, I have been forced to cancel my trip, as it feels extremely unsafe," one person posted on the platform, tagging Air India.

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This was one of the many social media users who sought refunds from Air India after cancelling their flights. Others claimed they would not fly again with the airline or on Boeing aircraft. Mint could not verify the veracity of these posts.

To be sure, air travel is statistically one of the safest modes of travel. The period 2019 to 2023 saw more than 146 million flights, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata). The number of aircraft accidents in this period were 1,177, with just 17% registering at least one death, according to Aviation Safety Network. Back-of-the-envelope calculations show that an accident happened in this period once in about 124,000 flights and a death, once in about 743,000 flights.

Yet, the fear of flying, technically called aviophobia, is not to be swatted away. A 2024 study published in academic journal Dovepress noted that about 40% of people suffer from aviophobia. The study involving 61 participants indicated that the experience of fear of flying was related to past and recent stressful events, among other things.

Dr Praveen Kumar, head of the psychiatry department at Institute of Neuroscience, Kolkata agreed that there was an increase in fear and apprehension related to flying following the Air India accident. “Even people who didn’t previously fear flying are now expressing anxiety," he said.

Also read | Air India's Boeing Dreamliner crashes minutes after takeoff

People who already have some psychological ailments such as anxiety disorders or panic attack disorders are more prone to these types of fear, he said, adding that people who were approaching him were mostly in the age group of 20-45.

The conversation is not limited to whether flying is safe. People are also concerned about what they can trust. “There is a sense of discomfort in not knowing what's next," said Vidya Dinakaran, who runs a private psychotherapy practice in Chennai.

Multiple theories swirling over the reason for the crash of AI171 are adding to the fear of flyers, Dinesh said. “If you are discussing facts, there can be no anxiety. But if you are discussing fiction, there will be a lot of anxiety, because there is no limit to fiction," he said.

The fear will only abate once the Airports Accident Investigation Bureau comes out with its findings on what led to the accident, he said.

And read | DGCA faces severe staff crunch even as airlines expand fleets rapidly

In March, Air India and its low-cost unit Air India Express handled almost 25% share of international passenger traffic in India, the most by any airline group, as per data from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In the same month, the two Air India carriers had 27% market share domestically, as per data DGCA. Market leader IndiGo carried 64% of the domestic passenger traffic that month.

Nehal Chaliawala in Mumbai contributed to this story