Roulette in the sky: Why flying in India feels like a gamble now

Taking a flight used to be exciting — maybe even glamorous. Now? It’s beginning to feel like a game of roulette in the sky. While the tragic incident involving the Ahmedabad–London Air India flight on June 12 may have triggered national anxiety, what has followed has only deepened the public’s fear of flying.

The situation has escalated to the point where even a delay — the most mundane of airline problems — is now being viewed with suspicion. You can see it in the tired eyes of passengers at boarding gates, nervously refreshing flight status apps.

You can hear it in conversations — “Did you hear about that crash?” “What if it happens to us?” “Isn’t train safer?” For frequent flyers, even seasoned ones, there's a visible shift from confidence to cautious optimism… or full-blown dread.

In just the past few days, Indian aviation seems to have been caught in a storm of technical snags, emergency landings, and mid-air scares.

Over the past few days, several airlines have cancelled dozens of flights, citing a gamut of operational and technical issues. Take Air India, for instance.

Between June 12 and 17, a total of 83 wide-body flights operated by the Tata-owned airline were cancelled — including 66 Boeing 787 services, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed on June 17.

Unsurprisingly, Indian flyers are on edge — and it’s not just Air India facing scrutiny. On June 17, an IndiGo flight from Goa to Lucknow ran into sudden mid-air turbulence. Not completely out of the ordinary during monsoon, sure, but when your seat suddenly turns into a shaking massage chair at 30,000 feet, all the logic in the world can't stop your heart from skipping a beat.

The plane landed safely, and the airline said their crew followed “all established protocols.” But the timing of it — in the middle of an already jittery travel week — couldn’t have been worse.

Then came the bomb scare. On June 17, an IndiGo flight flying from Kochi to Delhi had to make an emergency landing in Nagpur after an email warned of a bomb on board. As per the Cochin International Airport Ltd, the threat was specific.

As many as 157 passengers and 6 crew members were promptly evacuated, and the aircraft underwent a full inspection. Thankfully, it turned out to be a hoax. But for those on board, that hour of uncertainty was very real.

Back to Air India — yes, the tragic crash remains a cloud over everyone’s heads. Since then, multiple flights have reported snags mid-air, from malfunctioning engines to landing gear troubles.

The list includes flights from Ahmedabad to London, Delhi to Ranchi, Hong Kong to Delhi, and a San Francisco–Mumbai service that had to deplane all passengers in Kolkata due to engine issues during a technical stop.

A Guwahati to Kolkata flight kept passengers onboard past midnight on June 15, only to later delay them again due to the same issue. Eventually, the aircraft was replaced, but the trust? Not so much.

Let’s be fair - mechanical glitches happen. Weather is unpredictable. And in a country like India, with thousands of daily flights, some hiccups are inevitable. But there’s something different about the air lately — not the turbulence, but the tension.

Multiple flights have reported snags mid-air, from malfunctioning engines to landing gear troubles.

So what’s going on?

Part of it is perception. The closer in time serious incidents occur, the more alarming they seem. But part of it, too, is the growing sense that airlines — across the board — are overstretched.

Planes flying longer routes with tighter turnarounds, crews pulling double shifts, and aircraft older than some passengers — add to that war-related airspace closures and erratic weather, and you have the makings of a perfect storm, both literally and figuratively. 

But what’s missing right now is transparency. Most airlines release a one-line statement - “We regret the inconvenience,” “All passengers are safe,” or the classic, “Due to operational reasons…”

What passengers need is assurance. Not just that their snacks will be served warm, but that the plane they’re sitting in has been double-checked, triple-inspected, and given the all-clear not just by mechanics, but by a system that cares.

A friend who once worked with a major airline once told me that “technical” is an all-purpose term used in the industry for any issue or delay. Most airlines avoid giving clear information to passengers — not because they don’t know, but because they fear panic.

Aviation is built on trust. You surrender yourself to a flying metal tube at 40,000 feet, with faith that every bolt is tight, every sensor is working, and every emergency has a backup plan. The moment that trust starts to wobble, so does the entire experience.

It is about time, the airline industry must now step up — not just with better safety measures but with clear, human communication. Tell passengers what’s happening. Tell them how it's being fixed. Tell them why they should believe in the skies again.

Because right now, for many Indian travellers, booking a flight no longer feels like a journey. It feels like a risk. And that’s not turbulence we can afford.