Bengaluru flyers hit pause after Air India plane crash

Bengaluru: The June 12 mishap involving Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating from Ahmedabad to London, has prompted several Bengalureans to cancel or reschedule their air travel plans. Many say their families are now anxious about factors like the flight operator, the aircraft’s model and how long it has been in service, and even the duration of the flight.

Akshatha Y P (name changed), a Kengeri resident and frequent flyer to London, was planning to travel at the end of June. But after the incident, her family urged her to postpone the trip. “I am currently managing most meetings remotely,” she says.

Banaswadi resident Ruhaniyat Syed expects to lose at least Rs 27,000 as she plans to reschedule her flight to Germany from June to July on a different airline.

Fayaz Khan, who runs Journey World Vacations on Church Street, confirms that “a general fear” has set in. “People travelling to London are avoiding direct nine-hour flights and are choosing options with layovers,” he adds. His agency has also received questions from people travelling in July and August, asking if airlines will be changing the aircraft model used for upcoming flights.

Wary of airline, model

According to travel agents, confidence in Air India and Boeing has dipped after the tragedy that left only one survivor. A representative of a Kasturi Nagar-based travel agency, says many travellers previously preferred Air India and Air India Express for their affordable domestic fares. “However, since June 13, nearly 60% of our bookings with these carriers — both domestic and international — have been cancelled,” he says. Some of his clients are postponing business trips to Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand by two weeks to a month.

At Susheel Holidays and Forex, Ganganagar, director Punya T Patel reports that about 25% of their Europe- and US-bound clients are switching to carriers other than Air India. “People are willing to pay over Rs 25,000 in change fees,” he says.

Vignesh Kamath, managing director of Travel Bird Vacations in Banashankari, says passengers are rebooking flights based on the type of aircraft in use.

While domestic travel remains largely stable for him, the agency has seen 4-5% of recent international bookings involving Air India being rescheduled, and about 2% cancelled.

Vaidyalingam K S, owner of Beppu Holidays in Kalyan Nagar, hasn’t received cancellations yet, but has been fielding frequent queries about the aircraft — whether it’s a Boeing, which model, and the year of manufacture. Khan, too, is getting calls about the “make of the aircraft”.

Still, Kamath remains optimistic. “Such concerns arise globally after an aviation incident, but travellers usually move past them soon,” he says.

Less travel during June, July

Ravikanth, who runs JetSeter, a Jayanagar-based agency, notes that June-July is generally a lean travel period as the summer holidays are over by then. Even so, this year’s business is down by about 40% compared to the same time last year. “This drop can be linked to tensions in Kashmir, the recent Air India incident, and other war-like situations and instability globally,” he says.

The significant amount of money Bengalureans spent on travel to the Kumbh Mela this year could be another reason, he adds.

24 out of 33 Boeings cleared

Out of 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, 24 have cleared the ‘Enhanced Safety Inspection’ ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as of June 17, 3 pm. This was disclosed in a statement by the regulatory body.