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Journalism of Courage
In the wake of the Air India flight AI171 crash on June 12 that claimed over 270 lives, murmurs within the aviation community have grown louder. Anxiety around flying isn’t just affecting passengers – it’s weighing heavily on those in the cockpit and cabin too. Unconfirmed reports suggested that a pilot scheduled to operate the Delhi-Copenhagen flight on June 14 experienced a panic attack and stepped down before the flight, with another pilot completing the flight. The incident, though not officially verified, raises serious questions about the psychological impact of such tragedies on aviation professionals.
“I was flying the plane the same day as the crash, the next, and even the day after,” a pilot from the Air India Group told indianexpress.com on condition of anonymity. “It could have been me, or any of us. Yes, we feel stressed and anxious. Every call from family asking if we’re alive, every time we fly, just adds to the burden. Our families are traumatised. Still, we have to do what needs to be done, and have to fly,” the pilot said.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) introduced a peer support and buddy programme in 2023 to help pilots seek therapy, but they remain hesitant to enrol. “Signing up means being grounded without pay,” said the same pilot, who has logged similar hours to the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who led the ill-fated AI171 flight, adding, “That’s why none of us opt in. It feels more like a public relations exercise than real support.”
The pilot also recalled facing “several incidents,” including a major in-flight engine failure: “You just have to be prepared, focus on the tasks at hand, and keep going. Nothing really prepares you fully for what the skies may throw at you.”
Neha Kapoor Madan, 35, a former cabin crew member with 13 years of experience, said, “The sky was my second home, but it never looked this grey.” Neha recalled a mid-air emergency involving a fuel leak and possible fire on landing: “Back then, I wasn’t scared. I knew what to do. But today, even with all that training, one thought lingered… what if the aircraft gives up on you? That feeling was different – quiet, heavy, real.” The AI171 crash, she said, “took something from all of us.”
Many have taken to social media to express their grief and concern. Aditi Syal, a content professional and wife of a “proud Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilot,” wrote on LinkedIn: “Passengers asking cabin crew ‘safely land karwa dogey na‘ (You will make us land safely, right?), is such a heartless attempt at a joke. It almost assumes cabin crew are not humans – they have no one waiting at home, no one waiting for their text, no one for whom their landing safely matters.
And yes, there’s a high chance he’s flown the exact aircraft involved in Thursday’s incident. When the news broke, our phones lit up.. But his response was, ‘This plane has Sexy Engines, and these aircraft don’t just fail. What happened is rare. Let the experts investigate.’ He wasn’t just being hopeful; he was speaking from years of training, thousands of hours in the cockpit and deep familiarity with one of the most advanced aircraft known today,” she wrote.
Pilot Teena Goswami shared a somber account of her first flight after the crash. “With heavy heart and full of emotions … Here we fly again… A silent flight ever I saw,” she shared on her Instagram, and described what she saw:
*Passengers were quiet and fearful.
*Airhostesses were getting enough respect and attention on the instructions given before takeoff.
*Except pre-booked, no meals were bought.
*Quiet all around, and passengers not talking to each other.
“I felt so much silence and fear around, including me as well. What a devastating day of the crash, RIP all who lost their lives,” she wrote.
Despite repeated attempts, many pilots and crew members declined to speak, choosing silence over reliving the trauma.
Veteran pilot Captain Anil Rao, who has clocked 12,000 flying hours over 32 years, said that while such tragedies shake the aviation community, pilots are trained for precisely these moments. “In life-and-death scenarios, a pilot fights till the very end to protect lives onboard and on the ground. That mindset is drilled into us. When a tragedy strikes close to home, there’s shock and grief, yes, but pilots and cabin crew don’t have the luxury to stop. We have to get up and fly,” he said.
He explained the psychological balancing act. “In the cockpit, we forget home. At home, we forget the cockpit. We have to dangle between the two extremes. We accept that tragedy has happened and see to it that such things shall not happen again, and learn from our and others’ mistakes. That’s our lives,” shared Rao.
Captain Sunil Pillai, 58, a retired Air India pilot with 44 years of experience, took us through the intricacies of flying in times of adversity and said pilots must learn to navigate mentally taxing situations. “Every six months, you’re likely to face some form of emergency. No one’s completely calm, but once in the cockpit, you know lives depend on you and you have to try and work hard to tackle those counterproductive thoughts, no matter what,” said Pillai, who has faced three engine failures and a hijack attempt.
Even in this grief, they are reminded of something else they carry — resilience. “The strength of those who flew the very next day, who stepped onto the aircraft despite the fear in their hearts. Because that is what it means to be part of this profession. We trust our training. We believe in our teams. And above all, we know that flying remains one of the safest forms of travel in the world. Confidence isn’t blind — it’s built from years of drills, of discipline, of reacting under pressure,” said former cabin crew Noopur Parth, Manager (Retd.) IFS Department.
Pillai swears by a checklist. “I used to always tell my co-pilot that emergencies can happen even on the last day of one’s career. So, whatever happens, you have to face it, right down to the last day. Take a deep breath and get going,” said Pillai.
A managing committee member from Airline Pilot’s Association of India (ALPA), that represents Indian pilots and is an associate member of the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), told indianexpress.com, “ALPA has not taken any stand and we are only wanting people to stop speculation and we want to be a part of AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau which is set to investigate the crash) for transparent investigation.”
The member also said, “ALPA is ready to help any pilots or the family of the now tragically deceased pilots to cope with the Post Traumatic Stress confidentially.”
Captain Rao, ALPA’s General Secretary, also told us that they are open to helping anybody legally and morally. “We are open to help anybody who has a grievance and has been affected by the crash. We have a dedicated team. Our two representatives had also gone to the funeral of the first officer and the captain. We have the addresses of the cabin crew as well. We are delegating members who can visit their houses.”
He also urged pilots and crew to take the tough call. “At any time, if I am not physically or mentally well, I am not supposed to fly as per the rules. Thoughts do come, but that is part of my job to control my thoughts, my emotions. Lives are in my hands. So, we have to be responsible in what we do. So, if not well, do not fly,” he said.
Tackling nerves and managing mental health are crucial not only for their well-being but for the safety and efficiency of flight operations, said Dr Chandni Tugnait, psychotherapist and the founder and director of Gateway of Healing. “Acknowledging mental health needs and providing proper support allows these professionals to handle stress and trauma, ensuring they can perform their duties without being impaired by unresolved psychological challenges,” said Dr Tugnait.
Delnna Rrajesh, psychotherapist and life coach, agreed, “Your body and mind might be breaking silently, but duty doesn’t pause in crisis,” and said, “Your role is sacred, yes, but so is your sanity. You don’t serve better by ignoring your emotions. You serve best when you’re emotionally regulated, rested, and supported. In aviation, duty means staying calm in the skies. But it also means doing the inner work on the ground.”
She also listed seven tools to protect the mental health of pilots and cabin crew while honouring their duties:
1. Three-minute check-in before every flight: Ask yourself…’Do I feel calm, alert, and clear-headed? What do I need to fly safely for myself and others?’ This is your internal safety check. Do not skip it.
2. Mini-reset rituals mid-shift:
a. Do your box-breathing: Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4. “3. “Breathwork techniques (like 4-7-8 breathing) can provide a quick reset during high-stress moments, calming the mind within minutes,” Dr Tugnait said.
b. Massage your pressure points (base of skull, wrists)
c. Hydrate intentionally with a 10-second pause. Sip water from a glass slowly.
These micro-breaks bring your nervous system out of panic and into presence.
3. Emotional debriefs are critical: After tough flights, or incidents, don’t just file reports/brush it off. Talk about how you feel. Suppressed emotion becomes trauma. Process it before it becomes toxic.
4. Pre-take-off anchor cue: One small grounding ritual (touching your badge, closing your eyes for five seconds, or an affirmation like ‘I am present, prepared, and protected’) can flip your brain from anxious to anchored.
5. Protect off-duty time like airspace: Schedule one digital detox every three days, one full ‘no crew talk’ day every week and one practice that’s only for you (not for duty, not for anyone else). It can be journaling, meditation, dancing – anything that keeps you peaceful and centered.
6. Seek support before feeling broken: Try solution-focused therapy or breath-based trauma work. Don’t wait for breakdowns. Schedule maintenance, not rescue. See a therapist, if need be.
