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The tragic crash of an Air India domestic flight in Ahmedabad this June has sent shockwaves far beyond the runway. While the immediate human toll—numerous fatalities and injuries—is deeply harrowing, the incident also reignites urgent debates over aviation safety, media ethics, and the economic vulnerabilities that accompany modern air travel.
This catastrophe, like many before it, underscores the fragile balance between technological sophistication, human decision-making, and systemic oversight—a balance that has historically defined the aviation industry’s greatest challenges and reforms.
Crashes That Changed Aviation Forever
The history of commercial plane crashes reveals a complex interplay of technological advancement, human error, environmental challenges, and systemic vulnerabilities. From the earliest documented incidents in the 1920s, when aviation was in its infancy, to recent tragedies, each event reflects the evolution of safety standards, aircraft design, and global travel volumes.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, early crashes often stemmed from mechanical breakdowns, poor visibility, or untrained pilots. In contrast, modern disasters tend to involve software or communication failures, as seen in the Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018–19, where MCAS system flaws led to the deaths of 346 people.
Historic incidents like the 1977 Tenerife disaster (583 deaths) prompted standardized cockpit phraseology, while Japan Airlines Flight 123 (1985) spurred reforms in maintenance protocols. India’s 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (349 deaths) directly led to the mandatory adoption of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS).
Global Trends and National Realities
Statistically, countries with large aviation footprints bear the brunt of air disasters. According to AviationA2Z (2025):
- United States: 788 fatal crashes since 1945, over 10,600 deaths.
- Russia: 360 fatal incidents, approx. 7,300 deaths.
- India: 93 fatal crashes, including the Charkhi Dadri collision.
These figures demand enhanced real-time oversight, pilot training, and preventive systems as air traffic increases globally. Yet not all countries respond to such events with equal transparency. A study of China Daily’s coverage of the 2022 MU5735 crash revealed an overreliance on government narratives, limiting space for independent investigation. A Cardiff University PhD thesis (Boëlle, 2020) found that authoritarian regimes often suppress dissent post-crash, while liberal democracies struggle with sensationalism.
The Media’s Role in the Ahmedabad Crash
While coverage varied across platforms, it is important to acknowledge that many media organisations made efforts to highlight the role of rescue workers, share verified updates, and provide timely information to the public. Reporting in the immediate aftermath of such tragedies often occurs under intense pressure and evolving circumstances, which can impact editorial choices made in real time.
The June 2025 Air India crash in Ahmedabad brought renewed attention to the complexities of media coverage during national emergencies. As the country grappled with the loss of lives and injuries, questions emerged around how narratives were shaped, whose voices were foregrounded, and how to strike a balance between information and empathy.
Several major television and print organisations prominently featured images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying respects at the site of the tragedy. While intended to convey solidarity and leadership, some observers noted that early coverage focused more on official visuals, with relatively less emphasis initially placed on the stories of survivors, rescue personnel, or the challenges faced by local authorities. Such editorial choices—though often unintentional—can influence how the public perceives the scale and nature of a disaster response.
This pattern is not new. During the 2020 Kozhikode crash as well, media attention initially centered around visits by dignitaries, before gradually shifting to more detailed coverage of rescue efforts and passenger stories. In both cases, concerns were raised over the use of unverified social media content and graphic visuals, underscoring the ongoing need for sensitive and responsible reporting.
Footage from the Ahmedabad crash site, including mobile phone videos showing debris and distressed families, was circulated across news and digital platforms. In some instances, these were aired without adequate context or consent, prompting calls for stronger adherence to ethical journalism standards such as those outlined by the Press Council of India and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
While social media amplified both empathy and criticism, several digital platforms like Scroll, Alt News, and Newslaundry contributed meaningfully by spotlighting on-ground rescue operations, healthcare responses, and firsthand accounts from those affected. These examples demonstrate how diverse media approaches can offer a fuller picture of unfolding events.
Ultimately, the Ahmedabad crash serves as a reminder of the delicate responsibility borne by the media during crises. In striving to inform the public quickly, it remains essential to do so with care, compassion, and a commitment to accuracy. Coverage that balances official updates with human-centered storytelling can help build trust and serve the public interest with dignity and respect.
Economic Freefall: Measuring the Hidden Cost of Crashes
According to IATA, India’s aviation industry is the third biggest in the world after the USA and China. It adds about USD 53.6 billion every year to the Indian economy, which is around 1.5% of the country’s total income (GDP). The industry also provides jobs to nearly 7.7 million people, directly and indirectly, across the country. Aviation disasters, therefore, have a major impact on the economy, albeit for a short period. A single commercial crash can cost between $100 million–$500 million, factoring in compensation, legal costs, aircraft loss, and operational disruptions.
Following the Ahmedabad crash:
- Air India saw a 4.5% drop in stock value within two days.
- Boeing’s shares fell 5% amid fears over manufacturing flaws.
- IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Ixigo reported reduced demand.
- Tourism and hospitality sectors also took a hit.
Meta-analyses of past crashes (Giglio & Strobl, 2012; Chakraborty et al., 2020) reveal airline stocks typically decline 2.8–4.3% post-crash. The phenomenon of “competitive gain,” where unaffected airlines temporarily benefit, is often offset by long-term trust erosion across the sector.
Further, geopolitical instability worsens the impact. After 9/11, global markets lost $1.4 trillion, and post-737 MAX grounding, Boeing incurred up to $25 billion in losses. According to PYMNTS (2025), corporate and government travel bookings dropped 50% globally after a series of crashes this year, showing that public fear—shaped largely by media—has direct economic consequences.
Systemic Oversight Failures: The Boeing Case Study
Corporate accountability remains central. A 2024 study in Science and Engineering Ethics dissected Boeing’s internal culture, linking the 737 MAX disasters to a profit-driven environment that ignored internal safety warnings. The FAA’s ODA framework, which allowed Boeing to self-certify safety standards, was deemed a structural flaw.
Key recommendations included:
- Creating independent ombuds offices.
- Enhancing whistleblower protections.
- Reinforcing separation between regulators and manufacturers.
These reforms are crucial not only for safety but also for restoring global faith in aviation.
What Needs to Change
As India prepares to become one of the top three aviation markets by 2030, the Ahmedabad crash offers a sobering blueprint for reform.
- Infrastructure & Training
- Invest in AI-based early-warning systems, pilot simulations, and maintenance audits.
- Responsible Journalism
- Encourage trauma-informed reporting, regular editorial reviews, and enforcement of ethical standards.
- Transparent Public Communication
- Develop multilingual crisis briefings, fact-checking portals, and coordinated airline-government media responses.
- The role of DGCA
- Though the DGCA has taken strong technical and enforcement actions post-crash. But to restore public and industry confidence, it must focus on transparency, neutrality, and systemic safety reinforcement. The time has come to make the DGCA a truly independent regulatory body managed by the people who have having desired industry and regulatory experiences rather than functioning as a department under the Ministry of Civil Aviation
The Ahmedabad Air India crash is more than a disaster—it is a test of institutional integrity across aviation, media, and governance. It demands that we move from reaction to reflection, from turbulence to transformation.
If India is to fly higher, it must build a system where engineering excellence is matched by ethical accountability, and where the voices of victims rise above the din of politics and panic.
Charting a Responsible Flight Path
The Ahmedabad Air India crash is not just a devastating tragedy—it is a national inflection point. It has forced multiple institutions to confront uncomfortable realities about preparedness, transparency, and accountability in times of crisis. For the aviation sector, it exposes the urgent need to go beyond compliance and embed safety into the very culture of operation. For the media, it renews the call to balance urgency with dignity, and for the public, it reinforces the importance of critical engagement over passive consumption of narratives.
But perhaps most importantly, it opens up space for meaningful change. A future-ready India must ensure that growth in air traffic is matched with deep investments in aviation infrastructure, digital safety tools, and a culture of ethical governance. Media institutions, too, must take this moment to strengthen disaster-reporting protocols and ensure that human lives are never reduced to optics.
In the end, the sky must not only be a space for commerce and connectivity—it must also be a domain governed by conscience. The way India responds to this tragedy will not only determine the trajectory of its aviation sector, but also signal how a modern democracy handles crisis—with truth, compassion, and accountability.
Nipunika Shahid, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, School of Social Sciences
Dr. Shalini Singh, Assistant Professor, School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy
Dr. Jitendar Bhandari, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences
CHRIST University, Delhi NCR
Very nice