The Psychological Impact Of A Plane Crash: Air India Bookings Down 30%

On the afternoon of June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to the London Gatwick Airport crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. At least 39 others were killed on the ground when the aircraft plunged into a hostel.

The aftermath was equally harrowing. As images and videos of the wreckage flooded news channels and social media platforms, a deep wave of anxiety washed over the nation. People mourned the dead, but many others - those scheduled to travel by air in the coming days - were paralysed by fear.

The crash sparked a storm of outrage online, with users lashing out not only at Air India but also at Boeing, whose aircraft have been involved in multiple high-profile crashes in recent years. Many began cancelling their international tickets altogether, unconcerned about refunds.

'30-35% Drop In Booking'

Flight bookings with Air India have plummeted by 30-35% in the six days following the crash, as confirmed by Madhav Oza, owner of Blue Star Air Travel Services (India) Pvt Ltd.

Speaking to NDTV Profit, he said, "In terms of fresh bookings, we have seen a reduction of 30-35%. This includes the impact of the Israel-Iran conflict besides the plane crash."

One such cancellation came from Shubhraj Prasad Singh, who was to fly from Ranchi to Hyderabad on June 19, with Air India.

"Due to the Air India crash incident, I cancelled my flight," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). When his refund did not materialise, he took to social media to express his frustration.

"I cancelled my flight after the crash. I saw multiple articles about Air India flights being cancelled, which made me hesitant to proceed with my booking. The airline refused to provide a refund or any assistance," he further told NDTV. 

A similar experience was reported by actress and model Meera Chopra. She and her husband were set to travel to Dubai but scrapped their plans immediately after the crash.

Travel agencies report that over 20% of existing Air India bookings have been cancelled since June 12, according to NDTV Profit.

Govind Gaur, CEO of WanderOn, a D2C (direct to consumer) travel-technology firm, agrees with the rise in cancellations, though he says that the exact numbers can be somewhere between 5 to 7%. 

"We are seeing possibly 5-7% of passengers moving away from Air India to alternate carriers. There have not been widespread cancellations, but there is a 6-7% cancellation rate specific to Air India bookings in the last few days," he said.

These mass cancellations have two things in common: The air carrier is Air India and the plane model is Boeing.

Namrata Dani, who had to send her son Dhruvin from Mumbai to Chennai, tells NDTV that the ticket was of Air India, but the mother, who was afraid after the recent incidents, changed the ticket at the last moment and made him fly IndiGo.

"My son was going to go to Chennai tomorrow. Earlier, we had planned to go by Air India, but now we sent him by IndiGo because now we are scared and it will be difficult for us to travel by Air India," she says.

Manish Chopra, Creative Founder, Party Passport, who often travels for work also shares a recent incident of boarding a plane after the incident. 

"Recently while coming back from Indonesia our flight was diverted to Varanasi instead of Delhi. As we got to know the news on the airplane there was a heavy atmosphere and people did look concerned about the diversion. After the crash, it has increased fear and hesitancy due to intense media coverage and safety concerns," he says. 
 

The Psychological Impact

Harish Khatri, Founder and MD of India Assist, a mobile-based travel assistant service, says that there has been a psychological impact from the crash, even though they have not seen cancellations apart from Air India.

"While we haven't seen a major dip in travel volumes, what's noticeably shifted is the traveller sentiment. The crash has left a psychological impact-especially among infrequent flyers and families-which manifests more as silent anxiety than cancelled tickets," he adds.

The #AhmedabadPlaneCrash flight crash has left a heavy weight on my chest. People boarded thinking they'd be home for dinner. Some never made it.
Dr. Prateek Joshi's family photo has been haunting me -a happy moment frozen in time, now a reminder of how unpredictable life really… pic.twitter.com/rnVJzfBo1t

— Dr. Amar Patnaik (@Amar4Odisha) June 14, 2025

In the last 48 hours, Air India has cancelled a total of 9 international flights, mostly involving Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, due to a combination of safety checks, technical issues, aircraft unavailability, and operational restrictions. Gaur says flights being diverted or returning mid-route have contributed to growing frustration and anxiety. 

"This leads to operational inefficiency and excess fuel consumption, which could push prices upwards, particularly for long-haul flights to Europe and North America. Travel interest may now shift to the Eastern corridor," said Gaur.

Indians Still Want To Travel

Even after this major dip in air travel, experts are hopeful that despite everything, Indians want to travel-both domestically and internationally.

Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) in India, also agrees and adds that, "While tragic accidents such as air crashes do cause short-term anxiety, we have not seen any discernible or prolonged dip in travel sentiment. Indian tourists today are much more aware and resilient."

In 2025, Indians are traveling more frequently and spending more on travel. Photo: Unsplash

Prabhakar Kamat, Business Head at Red Dot Representation, a luxury tourism brand, reiterated that most tourists are still willing to travel, though they seek more reassurance.

"Tourists are naturally apprehensive when disturbing news breaks, but we haven't noticed an apparent long-term decline in reservations. Most clients still plan their vacations with excitement," says Kamat.

What To Keep In Mind During Your Next Flight

It is not easy to calm yourself when you have to travel during such moments. However, experts suggest having faith and keeping these tips in mind while travelling:

• Shift from 'what if' to 'what is' - Aviation remains one of the safest transport systems in the world.
• Stay informed, not consumed - Avoid doom-scrolling right before a flight.
• Anchor your senses - Use calming routines like music, meditation, or reading.
• Choose perspective over panic - Knowing that you are supported by systems and technology flips fear into calm confidence.

Also, let's look at the data.

Despite the recent Air India crash causing 270 deaths, fatal air accidents in India are extremely rare compared to other modes of transport, making flying the safest mode of travel in the country.

For instance, India witnessed over 1,60,000 deaths due to road accidents in 2025, with overspeeding responsible for nearly 70% of these fatalities-making roads the most dangerous mode of transport by a large margin.

But does it mean we need to stop going outside our house? No, right?

What Air India And Aviation Ministry Are Doing 

In a statement issued to its Maharaja Club (the Air India loyalty programme) members, Air India confirmed that it has been conducting thorough safety inspections on its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft, following directions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 14, 2025.

“So far, inspections have been completed on 26 aircraft and these have been cleared for service. The remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will undergo these additional checks before being released into service. Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that our Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards,” the airline said.

The airline added that the time required for these enhanced safety checks, combined with factors such as airspace closures over Iran and parts of the Middle East, night-time operational restrictions at some international airports, and routine technical issues, has contributed to an unusually high number of long-haul flight cancellations over the past few days.

“We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we're truly sorry for the inconvenience,” the statement read.

As a "confidence-building measure", Air India said it would continue to carry out enhanced pre-flight safety checks not only on its Boeing 787 fleet but also on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

Given the time these additional checks will require and the likely impact on scheduling, the airline has decided to reduce its international widebody flights by around 15% starting June 20, 2025, through to at least mid-July. This temporary reduction will also help ensure additional backup aircraft are available to manage any unexpected issues.

“We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we're deeply sorry for any inconvenience. If your flight is impacted, we will contact you to offer rebooking on another flight at no extra cost, or a full refund. We will share the updated international schedule within the next few days,” the airline assured its customers.

On Thursday, June 19, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's multidisciplinary team has wrapped up critical recovery efforts related to the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad. This phase included documenting the crash site and gathering key evidence. The investigation has now moved into the analysis stage.

The aviation ministry also undertook a comprehensive review of safety, passenger facilitation, and airline performance following the crash, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, met with the CEO of Air India.

The Long-Term Picture

While the initial wave of fear is palpable, experts believe that the Indian travel ecosystem will bounce back. Airlines will need to ramp up safety reassurances (which they seem to be doing), transparent communication, and perhaps even modify cancellation and refund policies to help rebuild consumer confidence.

Celebrities and influential voices are also doing their part to raise awareness about the safety of air travel, which will also help motivate people to put their trust back on air travels. 

For instance, actress Raveena Tandon boarded an Air India flight on June 17, and shared a heart-warming post about the experience.

“New Beginnings… to rise and fly again against all odds… to pick up and start all over, with new resolve towards greater strength. The atmosphere was solemn, and the crew's welcoming smiles were tinged with sadness. The silent passengers and crew bonded through unspoken condolences and quiet confidence,” her post read.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon)

Comedian and actor Vir Das also flew from London to his home on Thursday and tweeted about it. "Flying home from London on @airindia today. Looking forward to a good flight, to seeing the crew, supporting you, enjoying you, being in your seat, and corner [sic]," he wrote.

Mayal sums up, "Safety is never compromised, and the sector continues its efforts to provide secure and hassle-free journey experiences."

But, for now, the trauma lingers. The survivor's story, the grieving families, the fiery crash footage-these are not so easily forgotten. For every traveller boarding a plane today, the unspoken question remains: what if?

But that's just life.