US$500 therapy, avoiding Boeing: Indians cope with flight anxiety after Ahmedabad crash
Retired air force officer Dinesh K. has seen a surge in demand for his US$500 therapy course to help people overcome their fear of flying since
Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad two weeks ago.
Dinesh uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista centre for 'fear of flying solutions' in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The centre has received more than 100 inquiries since the disaster, compared to a previous average of about ten a month.
'Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane – the sounds, motion, vibrations … exposure therapy is the only solution,' Dinesh, 55, said during a tour of the facility where he showed how cockpit controls relate to movements that often worry passengers.
The centre has a simulator for a Boeing and Cessna plane to help people experience how landings and take-offs appear from the cockpit and understand that not every vibration or sound during a flight signals danger.
WhatsApp messages Dinesh received, and shared with Reuters, showed individuals complaining about 'losing confidence' after the crash while others said it was 'too hard on the brain'.
A chilling 59-second CCTV clip showing the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people, has been widely shared on social media and TV channels since the June 12 accident, which aviation and mental health experts said had led to an unusually high number of counselling requests.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
US$500 therapy, avoiding Boeing: Indians cope with flight anxiety after Ahmedabad crash
Retired air force officer Dinesh K. has seen a surge in demand for his US$500 therapy course to help people overcome their fear of flying since Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad two weeks ago. Dinesh uses a combination of flight simulation and counselling at his Cockpit Vista centre for 'fear of flying solutions' in Bengaluru, the only one in India. The centre has received more than 100 inquiries since the disaster, compared to a previous average of about ten a month. 'Fear of flying is typically to do with things happening on an aeroplane – the sounds, motion, vibrations … exposure therapy is the only solution,' Dinesh, 55, said during a tour of the facility where he showed how cockpit controls relate to movements that often worry passengers. The centre has a simulator for a Boeing and Cessna plane to help people experience how landings and take-offs appear from the cockpit and understand that not every vibration or sound during a flight signals danger. WhatsApp messages Dinesh received, and shared with Reuters, showed individuals complaining about 'losing confidence' after the crash while others said it was 'too hard on the brain'. A chilling 59-second CCTV clip showing the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people, has been widely shared on social media and TV channels since the June 12 accident, which aviation and mental health experts said had led to an unusually high number of counselling requests.
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Nimbus: the Covid-19 variant that may cause ‘razor blade throat'
The Covid-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: 'razor blade throat' Covid. Advertisement That is because the variant - NB.1.8.1. or 'Nimbus' - may cause painful sore throats. The symptom has been identified by doctors in the United Kingdom, India and elsewhere, according to media outlets in those countries. Other Covid-19 symptoms of any variant include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell. Experts have said there is not a major cause for concern with the Nimbus variant. Where the variant is spreading The rise in cases late last month is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions, the World Health Organization said on May 28. The new variant had reached nearly 11 per cent of sequenced samples reported globally in mid-May.
South China Morning Post
17-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Air India crash heroes: the trainee doctors who cheated death to save lives
Navin Chaudhary had just begun eating his meal when a loud bang startled him. He turned back to see a massive fire taking over the dining area where he and other trainee doctors had assembled for lunch. The blaze approaching him, he rushed towards a window and jumped. From the ground, looking upwards, the sight of the Air India plane's tail cone hanging from the burning building propelled Chaudhary and fellow medical students into action. 'There was fire and many were injured,' Chaudhary said. He said he felt lucky to survive but knew he had a task at hand. He rushed to the hospital's intensive care unit, where the injured, most of whom had burns, were wheeled in on stretchers. Navin Chaudhary, a doctor who witnessed last week's Air India plane crash, speaks to reporters in Ahmedabad, India, on Monday. Photo: AP 'I felt that as a doctor I could save someone's life,' he said. 'I was safe. So I thought, whatever I can do, I should.'
