Latest news with #DineshK
News18
5 hours ago
- Health
- News18
Air India Crash: Kargil War Veteran From Bengaluru Helps People Overcome Fear Of Flying
Last Updated: A retired Indian Air Force officer in Bengaluru is seeing aerophobes queue outside his counselling office to combat their fear of flying post Ahmedabad Air India crash. A retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer from Bengaluru is now helping people combat their fear of flying. People are paying up to Rs 44,000 to tackle their aerophobia, which according to Cleveland Clinic happens when a person suffers from a crippling fear of flying. The number of such people who are afraid of air travel has also surged and retired IAF officer Dinesh K's 'exposure therapy" is in vogue, according to a report by news agency Reuters. 'Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane – the sounds, motion, vibrations … exposure therapy is the only solution," the 55-year-old was quoted as saying by the news agency. He told Reuters that his counselling center, named Cockpit Vista, uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling and is the first of its kind in India. Dinesh's aerophobia eliminator course is spread over 14 hours. Dinesh, a Kargil War veteran, oversaw ground operations during the 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan and retired as an Air Force wing commander in 2014. He also offers to accompany worried clients on the first flights they take after completing the course. London-based consultant Nidhi Bhatia said she won't board a Boeing again because 'the fear is just too much". 'I'm bloody terrified currently, and I don't want to get back on a flight," Bhatia, 25, who flew to Mumbai in an Air India Boeing 777 plane a day before the Ahmedabad crash said. Before this month's Air India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad hardly a dozen people in a month queued up outside his clinic but now Dinesh K has gotten over 100 enquiries since the crash. Dinesh showed messages he received on his WhatsApp where many complained of 'losing confidence" after the crash while there were others who said it was 'too hard on the brain". Some travellers are becoming choosier 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. Countries in the West have more formal setups to help people tackle their fear of flying. Fatal crashes have often led to heightened anxiety and worry in flyers and those suffering from aerophobia are certainly more alert as the chilling 59-second CCTV clip showing the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people, continues to make rounds on social media. Mental health practitioners have also told Reuters that many flyers have sought counselling following the crash and that the anxiety-inducing clips have increased the numbers of patient queries. The haunting CCTV recording from Ahmedabad shows the Air India plane rose to a height of 650 feet (198.12 m) after it took off, but suddenly lost altitude, crashing in a fireball into a nearby building that housed a medical college and its mess premises and all of these events happened within 60 seconds. Psychologist Pankti Gohel told the news agency that many people were scared of letting their loved ones travel on planes, complaining of suffering from, 'debilitating anxiety" for their relatives in transit 'to an extent where they have been unable to focus on their daily chores". Five other mental health expert said that the disturbing footage was a key cause of the panic among Indian travellers. People were seeking help because they had developed insomnia or become obsessed with flight updates, they said. Days after an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter in Washington, killing more than 60 people, a survey of 1,000 US consumers by research firm Prodege found 55% of travellers had higher anxiety, while 38% had reconsidered or cancelled travel plans. Google Trends data shows searches for the term 'flying fear" in India hit 'peak popularity" a day after the Air India crash, and the phrase was still being widely searched.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Flying anxiety peaks in India after fatal Air India crash
Retired Air Force officer Dinesh K. has seen a surge in demand for his $500 therapy course to help people overcome their fear of flying since Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad two weeks ago. Dinesh uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista centre for "fear of flying solutions" in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The centre 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 aeroplane - 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 centre 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. Unlike India, Western countries have many more formal setups to help people tackle their fear of flying, in its most intense form known as aerophobia, as fatal crashes often spike worries among travellers across the world. Days after an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter in Washington, killing more than 60 people, a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by research firm Prodege found 55% of travellers had higher anxiety, while 38% had reconsidered or cancelled travel plans. Google Trends data shows searches for the term "flying fear" in India hit "peak popularity" a day after the Air India crash, and the phrase was still being widely searched. 'DEBILITATING ANXIETY' 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. Of the nine hull loss accidents without fatalities recorded in 2024, only two occurred on take off, according to Airbus' website. The airport CCTV recording from Ahmedabad shows the Air India plane rose to a height of 650 feet (198.12 m) after it took off, but suddenly lost altitude, crashing in a fireball into a nearby building -- all within 60 seconds. The disturbing footage was a key cause of the panic among Indian travellers, five mental health experts said. People were seeking help because they had developed insomnia or become obsessed with flight updates, they said. Others were scared of letting their loved ones travel on planes, complaining of "debilitating anxiety" for their relatives in transit "to an extent where they have been unable to focus on their daily chores" because they are constantly checking messages to see if they have landed, said psychologist Pankti Gohel. In Bengaluru, the $500 Cockpit Vista course is spread over 14 hours and led by Dinesh, who oversaw ground operations during the undeclared 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan and retired as an Air Force wing commander in 2014. He also offers to accompany worried clients on the first flights they take after completing the course. Since the crash, many travellers 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 escape 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."
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
"Bloody Terrified": Flying Anxiety Peaks In India After Air India Crash
Bengaluru: Retired Air Force officer Dinesh K has seen a surge in demand for his $500 therapy course to help people overcome their fear of flying since Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad two weeks ago. He uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista centre for "fear of flying solutions" in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The centre 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 aeroplane - the sounds, motion, vibrations ... exposure therapy is the only solution," Dinesh K, 55, told Reuters during a tour of the facility where he demonstrated how cockpit controls relate to movements that often worry passengers. The centre 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 K 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. Unlike India, Western countries have many more formal setups to help people tackle their fear of flying, in its most intense form known as aerophobia, as fatal crashes often spike worries among travellers across the world. Days after an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter in Washington, killing more than 60 people, a survey of 1,000 US consumers by research firm Prodege found 55% of travellers had higher anxiety, while 38% had reconsidered or cancelled travel plans. Google Trends data shows searches for the term "flying fear" in India hit "peak popularity" a day after the Air India crash, and the phrase was still being widely searched. 'DEBILITATING ANXIETY' Flying is typically seen as a safe mode of transport, and crashes during takeoff are especially rare. The International Civil Aviation Organisation said there were 1.87 accidents per million departures in 2023, its most recent annual air safety report. Of the nine hull loss accidents without fatalities recorded in 2024, only two occurred on takeoff, according to Airbus' website. The airport CCTV recording from Ahmedabad shows the Air India plane rose to a height of 650 feet (198.12 m) after it took off, but suddenly lost altitude, crashing in a fireball into a nearby building -- all within 60 seconds. The disturbing footage was a key cause of the panic among Indian travellers, five mental health experts said. People were seeking help because they had developed insomnia or become obsessed with flight updates, they said. Others were scared of letting their loved ones travel on planes, complaining of "debilitating anxiety" for their relatives in transit "to an extent where they have been unable to focus on their daily chores" because they are constantly checking messages to see if they have landed, said psychologist Pankti Gohel. In Bengaluru, the $500 Cockpit Vista course is spread over 14 hours and led by Dinesh K, who oversaw ground operations during the undeclared 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan and retired as an Air Force wing commander in 2014. He also offers to accompany worried clients on the first flights they take after completing the course. Since the crash, many travellers 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 escape 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."
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
'Too hard on brain': Flight phobia grips travellers after Ahmedabad Air India crash; bookings drop & cancellations spike
This is a representational AI image 'I'm bloody terrified currently,' this is how people are reacting when it comes to taking flights after Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. The flying anxiety has skyrocketed among flyers after the deadly incident that claimed 242 lives, with many taking experts' help to overcome the 'flying fear.' A wave of panic has gripped flyers and led to a sharp surge in fear-of-flying therapy requests, ticket cancellations, and unusually specific questions about aircraft types. Dinesh K, a retired Indian Air Force wing commander and founder of Cockpit Vista, told Reuters that demand for his $500 therapy course has exploded since the Air India flight crash incident. "Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane - the sounds, motion, vibrations ... exposure therapy is the only solution," Dinesh told Reuters. His centre used to receive about 10 enquiries a month. Since the crash, it's logged over 100. Crash footage sparks anxiety Chilling videos of the Dreamliner bursting into flames shortly after take-off have gone viral across social media. It's not just fuelling fear, it's inducing insomnia, panic attacks, obsessive checking of flight trackers, and even refusal to let loved ones fly, say mental health professionals, according to Reuters. Some people are unable to focus on daily life while a loved one is flying, said psychologist Pankti Gohel, describing cases of "debilitating anxiety". According to Google Trends, searches for "flying fear" in India peaked the day after the crash and remain high. Airlines under scrutiny, bookings nosedive The impact is being felt across the travel industry. Tour operators report a dramatic drop in bookings and a spike in cancellations, especially on Air India routes. "Flight bookings are down by 15–20%. Cancellations are up by 30–40%," Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian association of tour operators, told Reuters. Even more telling: Travellers are now filtering bookings by aircraft type, actively avoiding Dreamliners and Boeing planes. "People don't want to hear about Dreamliners," he added. For many flyers in India, the crash and its terrifying visuals were a psychological tipping point. While flying remains statistically one of the safest modes of transport, with only 1.87 accidents per million departures in 2023, emotions, not stats, are now driving decisions.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
‘Bloody terrified': Flying anxiety peaks in India after fatal Air India crash
A therapy course designed to help individuals conquer their fear of flying has seen a significant surge in demand following the recent Air India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad. The disaster, which occurred moments after take-off two weeks ago, has prompted a dramatic increase in enquiries for the programme. Retired Air Force officer Dinesh K., 55, runs Cockpit Vista, India's sole "fear of flying solutions" centre, located in Bengaluru. His $500 course, which combines flight simulation with counselling, has received more than 100 enquiries since the crash, a stark contrast to its previous average of about ten a month. Dinesh explains his approach to overcoming aerophobia: "Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane - the sounds, motion, vibrations ... exposure therapy is the only solution." During a tour of his facility, he demonstrated how cockpit controls relate to movements that often unnerve passengers. The centre is equipped with simulators for both Boeing and Cessna planes, allowing participants to experience landings and take-offs from a pilot's perspective. This immersive experience aims to help individuals understand that not every vibration or sound during a flight signals danger, thereby alleviating their anxieties. 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. Unlike India, Western countries have many more formal setups to help people tackle their fear of flying, in its most intense form known as aerophobia, as fatal crashes often spike worries among travellers across the world. Days after an American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter in Washington, killing more than 60 people, a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by research firm Prodege found 55% of travellers had higher anxiety, while 38% had reconsidered or cancelled travel plans. Google Trends data shows searches for the term "flying fear" in India hit "peak popularity" a day after the Air India crash, and the phrase was still being widely searched. 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. Of the nine hull loss accidents without fatalities recorded in 2024, only two occurred on take off, according to Airbus' website. The airport CCTV recording from Ahmedabad shows the Air India plane rose to a height of 650 feet (198.12 m) after it took off, but suddenly lost altitude, crashing in a fireball into a nearby building -- all within 60 seconds. The disturbing footage was a key cause of the panic among Indian travellers, five mental health experts said. People were seeking help because they had developed insomnia or become obsessed with flight updates, they said. Others were scared of letting their loved ones travel on planes, complaining of "debilitating anxiety" for their relatives in transit "to an extent where they have been unable to focus on their daily chores" because they are constantly checking messages to see if they have landed, said psychologist Pankti Gohel. In Bengaluru, the $500 Cockpit Vista course is spread over 14 hours and led by Dinesh, who oversaw ground operations during the undeclared 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan and retired as an Air Force wing commander in 2014. He also offers to accompany worried clients on the first flights they take after completing the course. Since the crash, many travellers 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 escape 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."
