Flying fear grows among Indian passengers, shows data

In recent times, flying has become a stressful experience for many Indian passengers. After the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad and several emergency landings—both in India and abroad—there is growing anxiety among air travellers. The fear is understandable. Passengers have been bombarded with constant news about technical snags, emergency landings, and flight delays. The situation has sparked a conversation about how safe Indian skies really are.

Just last Saturday, an American Airlines flight in Denver had to abort takeoff due to a landing gear problem, which caused fire and smoke on the runway. Such incidents, though rare, spread fast across social media and news platforms, increasing public fear and doubt in airline safety—even when numbers show a slightly different picture.

India Today’s Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) looked at data from Indian airlines to understand what’s really going on. Between 2021 and 2023, airlines reported over 500 technical defects every year to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In 2022 alone, 528 issues were recorded. But the good news is that the number has since gone down. In 2024, it dropped to 421. And in 2025, only 183 technical defects have been reported till July 21. This shows that airlines are improving their aircraft maintenance and safety checks.

Indigo, India’s largest airline, used to report the highest number of defects. In 2021 and 2022, Indigo led the list with 215 cases, while SpiceJet followed with 143. By 2023, Indigo’s numbers rose further to 246. But there was a shift in 2024. Air India and Air India Express together reported 253 cases—more than any other airline. Indigo, on the other hand, saw a major drop to only 46 issues. So far in 2025, Air India still tops the list with 85 defects, followed by Indigo with 62.

So while technical problems still occur, they are not rising. In fact, fewer technical defects are being reported now. Still, this has not calmed passenger fears. Why?

Flight cancellations and complaints are also rising

One reason could be the overall experience of flying has become more stressful. Technical faults were once the top reason for flight cancellations. In 2023, they accounted for 29% of cancellations. But that figure dropped to 19% in 2025. So, what’s causing more flights to be cancelled now?

Weather remains a major factor. In 2023, it led to 44% of all flight cancellations. In 2025, it was responsible for 35%. Apart from that, operational issues like crew shortages, baggage delays, and last-minute schedule changes cause about 10–12% of flight cancellations every year. But there’s another surprising jump—in what airlines call “miscellaneous reasons.” These unclear or unexplained cancellations rose from 17% in 2023 to 34% in 2025.

Another area where the numbers look bad is passenger complaints. In 2023, Indian flyers filed 5,513 complaints—the highest in five years. These included grievances about delays, rude staff, poor hygiene, and lost baggage. In 2024, this dropped slightly to 4,016. But in just the first half of 2025, 3,925 complaints have already been filed. If this pace continues, this year’s total may cross 5,000 again.

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Passengers seem to feel that their concerns are not being heard or addressed well. Even though aircraft may be safer, the customer experience doesn’t reflect that improvement. This mismatch adds to the general nervousness among travellers.

To make matters worse, the DGCA has had to take serious action against airlines. In 2023, it issued 56 warnings, 203 suspensions, and 26 penalties for safety violations. The numbers went up sharply in 2024: 203 warnings, 329 suspensions, and 112 penalties. This year is on a similar track, with 65 warnings, 61 suspensions, and 79 penalties already issued.

These actions show that while the regulator is active and trying to ensure safety, violations are still happening often enough to raise concern.

Flying is still statistically very safe, but numbers don’t always reduce fear. When passengers constantly hear bad news, experience delays, or feel mistreated, their anxiety builds. Airlines may be fixing planes better, but they also need to fix how they treat people. Trust can’t be restored through data alone—it requires visible improvement in both safety and service. Until then, fear will continue to fly with many Indian passengers.