Air India plane crash effect: Everyone now wants seat 11A, even if it costs extra

Time of India

19-06-2025

Following the tragic crash of Air India
flight AI-171
in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, which claimed 241 lives, one detail has captured the public imagination: seat 11A. That's where the only survivor, 40-year-old Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was seated. Ever since, Indian travel agents have reported a surge in requests for that very seat — with some passengers even willing to pay extra for it.
Ramesh, a UK-based passenger, walked away with minor injuries after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical complex shortly after takeoff. His brother, seated beside him, tragically did not survive. Ramesh's miraculous escape, seated in the emergency exit row, has sparked what many are calling the "
Viswash effect
."
Travelers are now increasingly seeking out
emergency exit seats
— especially 11A — believing it might offer better survival odds. 'I want seat 11A, or whichever seat is by the emergency exit,' said Rajesh Bhagnani, a frequent flyer from Kolkata. 'After watching Viswashkumar's great escape, I feel that seat gives me a better shot at survival.'
Another traveler, businessman Jitender Singh Bagga, echoed the sentiment. 'I'm willing to fork out any extra amount for it,' he said, referring to his upcoming flight to the US.
'Even when 11A isn't next to an emergency exit, passengers are asking for it,' said Anil Punjabi of the Travel Agents Federation of India. 'It's about belief, comfort, and peace of mind.'
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Is Seat 11A the safest?
Aviation experts say it is not so straightforward because aircraft vary widely in seat configurations, crashes are unique and survival often hinges on a complex interplay of factors.
"Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," said Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit.
Ramesh Viswashkumar said his 11A seat was near an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday and he managed to walk out.
Sitting next to an exit door might help you survive an accident but it won't always be 11A because aircraft can have dozens of different configurations.
"In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day," said Ron Bartsch, Chairman at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting.
"But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787."
A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers towards the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability.
Sitting next to an exit door, like Viswashkumar, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits don't function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex.
The ill-fated flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal along with First Officer Clive Kunder. While Sabharwal had 8,200 hours of flying experience, Kunder 1,100 hours, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier said in a statement.
The aircraft departed from the Ahmedabad airport at 1.39 pm. The pilot (Sabharwal) of the plane issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after take-off to the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad.
Moments later, the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, smashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.