Air India crash: Demand for emergency exit seats surges, flyers want to book ‘11A’ after Ahmedabad tragedy – Report

Belief in destiny or just peace of mind? Passengers scramble to book the same seat occupied by the sole survivor of a recent Air India crash.

Demand for seat 11A on flights has soared across India after it emerged that the only survivor of last week’s Air India Flight 171 crash was seated there, The Times of India reported.

The seat, located next to an emergency exit on some aircraft, has now taken on an almost mythical status, with passengers requesting it regardless of safety data or seat configuration.

“It has to be a seat next to the emergency exit. I am willing to fork out any extra amount for it,” said Jitender Singh Bagga, a businessman preparing for a flight to the United States, speaking to the news outlet.

“If seat 11A is next to the emergency door of the British Airways flight I intend to take… I want to be in it.”

Survivorship becomes symbolic

The renewed interest comes after Viswash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, walked away with minor injuries from the crash that claimed 241 lives. Ramesh was seated in 11A, adjacent to an emergency exit, and was seen in widely circulated footage staggering away from the wreckage while speaking on his phone.

His miraculous escape has sparked a wave of superstition-fueled behavior among travelers.

“I know that life and death is a matter of destiny, but I still want to have my best shot,” said Rajesh Bhagnani, a Kolkata resident, was quoted as saying.

“Nothing like seat 11A if there is an emergency exit next to it.”

Travel industry responds to surge

According to Anil Punjabi, a national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, some fliers are even asking for seat 11A regardless of where it’s located on the aircraft.

“It has got to do with mindset and belief in luck. The fliers say it is for their peace of mind,” explained Anjani Dhanuka, regional chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India, in his remarks.

“The seat number offers mental peace,” he added.

Ramesh, who was discharged from an Ahmedabad hospital on Wednesday, has not spoken publicly since the crash, but his story continues to reverberate in the public imagination — and on travel booking sites.

For some passengers, seat 11A now represents more than just a seat — it’s a symbol of hope, luck, and the human instinct to do whatever it takes to survive.

Another 11A survivor: Thai Star recalls 1998 crash escape

Adding to the mystique around seat 11A is a chilling coincidence shared by Thai actor-singer Ruangsak “James” Loychusak, who revealed he was also seated in 11A when he survived the 1998 Thai Airways crash in Surat Thani that killed 101 people. Now 47, Ruangsak said he got goosebumps upon learning that Viswash Kumar Ramesh — the sole survivor of the recent Air India tragedy — had also been in seat 11A.