Dinesh uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista center for “fear of flying solutions” in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The center has received more than 100 enquiries since the disaster, compared to a previous average of about ten a month.
Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aero plane – the sounds, motion, vibrations exposure therapy is the only solution,” Dinesh, 55, told Reuters during a tour of the facility where he demonstrated how cockpit controls relate to movements that often worry passengers. The center has a simulator for a Boeing and Cessna plane to help people experience how landings and takeoffs appear from the cockpit and understand that not every vibration or sound during a flight signals danger.
WhatsApp messages Dinesh received, and shared with Reuters, showed individuals complaining about “losing confidence” after the crash while others said it was “too hard on the brain”
A chilling 59-second CCTV clip showing the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people has been widely shared on social media and TV channels since the June 12 accident, which aviation and mental health experts said had led to an unusually high number of counselling requests.
Some travellers are becoming more choosy in selecting their airline and aircraft – Boeing or Airbus – while others are so anxious they are taking more drastic steps by rescheduling or cancelling their air travel plans altogether. “I am filtering on the basis of not having to fly a Boeing … I’m bloody terrified currently, and I don’t want to get back on a flight,” said London-based Indian marketing consultant Nidhi Bhatia, 25, who flew to Mumbai in an Air India Boeing 777 plane a day before the Ahmedabad crash.
Flying is typically seen as a safe mode of transport, and crashes during takeoff are especially rare. The International Civil Aviation Organization said there were 1.87 accidents per million departures in 2023, its most recent annual air safety report. Since the crash, many travelers fear travelling with Air India and are seeking alternative airlines, according to Jaya Tours, a mid-sized booking agency in Mumbai.
Taken over by the Tata Group from the Indian government in 2022, Air India continues to face criticism for poor service and an outdated fleet. This year, the airline was also warned about flying three Airbus planes which lacked mandatory inspection checks on escapes slides.
The Indian Association of Tour Operators, which represents more than 1,600 agents, said overall flight bookings dropped by 15-20% soon after the Air India crash, while 30-40% of booked tickets were also cancelled.
“We are getting very unusual questions about aircraft type. Earlier passengers didn’t really care about what kind of aircraft it is,” said the group’s president, Ravi Gosain. “People don’t want to hear about Dreamliners.”
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