Air India Plane Crash Impact, Air India Flight Bookings: Tata group airline Air India’s bookings have reportedly fallen by about one-fifth on domestic as well as international routes. Bookings for the airline’s flights have dropped 20 per cent while its average fares have declined by 8-15 per cent in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad plane crash last week, news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
“Following the unfortunate incident involving Air India, we have observed a temporary decline in bookings, particularly on international sectors,” said Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain, according to the report.
“While the exact percentage varies by route, our estimates indicate a dip of around 18–22 per cent on international bookings and a 10–12 per cent decline domestically in the immediate aftermath. However, this appears to be a short-term sentiment-driven reaction, as confidence typically stabilises over time,” he said.
Gosain also said that there has been a moderate adjustment in fares across key Air India routes.
June 12 Ahmedabad Crash | Air India AI171 tragedy
On the afternoon of June 12, the London-bound Air India flight, AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one person onboard survived the crash and several deaths were reported on ground as the ill-fated flight crashed into a medical complex in Meghaninagar.
Authorities are in the process of investigating the cause of what is one of the worst air disasters in the country in recent years.
The flight AI171 was only airborne for less than a minute before plunging into a building in one of the most populated cities in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, Air India has reduced its widebody aircraft-operated international services by 15 per cent with effect from June 21 until at least July 15.
The curtailment, the Tata group airline has said, is part of its decision to voluntary undertake enhanced pre-flight safety checks and to accommodate additional flight durations arising from airspace closures in the Middle East. Read What N Chandrasekaran has said about Ahmedabad plane crash
The objective is to restore schedule stability while minimizing last-minute inconvenience to passengers, according to the Tata group airline.
The salt-to-software Tata conglomerate took over Air India from the government in 2022.
