Air India plane crash sparks demand for survivor's seat: Flyers rush to book emergency exit seats, especially 11A

In the aftermath of the Air India AI-171 crash, which claimed over 260 lives and left only one survivor, a surprising trend is emerging in the aviation sector. Demand for emergency exit row seats, particularly seat 11A, has surged, driven by the extraordinary survival of Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole passenger who walked away from the wreckage, according to a Times of India report.

Ramesh, a UK national, was seated on 11A next to the emergency exit, and his story is now reshaping how many flyers view their seat choices.

The report stated that travel agents across cities have confirmed a spike in queries for emergency exit row seats, with some passengers even requesting seat 11A, regardless of whether it’s next to the exit door.

Aviation experts caution that while exit row seats offer more legroom, they don’t offer any statistically proven survival advantage in the event of a crash. Still, for many passengers, these seats now carry a psychological comfort that outweighs technical logic.

“Some even want 11A even if it is not next to the exit,” Anil Punjabi, a national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, told TOI.

Until recently, many flyers were reluctant to choose emergency exit row seats because they often don’t recline and come with the responsibility of opening the door in emergencies. However, Viswashkumar’s escape appears to have reversed that perception overnight.

The deadly crash

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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just minutes after takeoff at around 2:00 PM, plummeting into the residential quarters of doctors at BJ Medical College in the city's Meghaninagar area. The aircraft was carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members.

The aircraft's pilot had issued a MAYDAY call to Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff, indicating a full emergency. However, there was no further communication before the aircraft went down.

"The plane was flying very low and it crashed into the residential quarters of doctors of the government-run college,” a local resident, Haresh Shah, told PTI. "There are several five-floor buildings which serve as residential quarters. Many people in those apartments were injured as the buildings also caught fire," he said. 

Another witness said multiple vehicles parked in the premises also caught fire.

The aircraft reportedly lost altitude rapidly and burst into flames on impact. Plumes of thick black smoke were seen rising from the crash site, visible from far across the city. There is no official confirmation yet on the number of casualties, but several residents in the housing complex were reportedly injured.