Increase in queries about exit row seats and aircraft models, say travel agents

For the frequent flier, the emergency exit row has always been a bit of a tradeoff – no recliner, but extra legroom and the responsibility of opening the exits in emergencies. But after the tragic flight crash in Ahmedabad, that perception has shifted.

The only survivor was in seat 11A, which was on the emergency exit row, on a flight that claimed over 240 lives. Travel agents say fliers are now reacting with a mix of hesitation and heightened awareness when it comes to choosing those rows.‘Fliers are asking about aircraft model, immediacy to emergency seats’Sourabh Tiwari, a travel agent based in Delhi, says, “I booked a domestic flight on the same airline just two days ago, and the passenger specifically requested a seat near the emergency exit.

That’s usually a seat many people avoid because it’s noisier and has limited recline (more legroom), but after the incident, some travellers are now seeing it as a kind of safety measure.”“There is a sense of fear amongst the flying public but aviation the flying public but aviation remains the safest mode of remains the safest mode of transport and gradually things transport and gradually things will become normal,” shares Rajiv Mehra, general secretary, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality.