Travel agencies in the UAE have noticed a growing interest in seat 11A among travelers after a passenger occupying that exact seat astonishingly survived an Air India crash last week.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only known survivor out of 242 passengers in the devastating crash that occurred on June 12, was a British national seated in 11A, located near an emergency exit on the Ahmedabad–London flight. He survived the incident with burn injuries.
This extraordinary survival story has led many Indian travelers in the UAE to seek out the “lucky” seat 11A or other seats in the 11th row, with the belief that these positions, especially those closer to emergency exits, offer greater safety. As a result, they are even willing to pay extra to secure them.
Namita Thakkar, a long-time UAE resident, shared that she plans to travel to India next week and will attempt to book seat 11A for her Dubai–Mumbai flight.
She said, “I am travelling to India soon with my son on an Air India flight, and I would be lying if I said the recent tragic incident hasn’t been on my mind. It’s hard not to think about it, especially after reading about the survivor who walked away from the crash, seated in 11A. That detail stuck with me. For a moment, I genuinely considered requesting the same seat for my son. Not because I’m superstitious, but something about that seat just stuck. Maybe a tiny thread of hope in the middle of something so heartbreaking.”
She added that she ultimately chose not to let fear influence her child, stating, “But then I reminded myself that fear, while natural, can quietly grow and take hold, especially in young minds. So I don’t want to pass on that kind of silent worry to my child. Our children should feel excitement and wonder about flying, not anxiety rooted in tragedy.”
Namita, who works in communications in Dubai, concluded, “So instead, I’m choosing to trust, pray for a safe journey, and remember that miracles do happen but so does everyday safety, which we often take for granted.”
Demand for Seat 11A Grows
Travel agents in the UAE are confirming that customers are specifically requesting seat 11A.
Avinash Adnani, partner at Neo Travel and Tourism, said, “Yes, people are asking about the 11A seat. People are showing interest that they want 11A or a seat in the 11th row (either A, B or C). Interest has grown up suddenly and people don’t mind paying Dh200 for the seat.”
He further explained that it’s not just about luck but perceived safety, saying, “More than luck, people believe that it is a safe seat and there will be less impact in case of crash. We are getting inquiries from the Indian passengers.”
Seats located near emergency exits are generally considered premium due to the extra legroom and are often preferred by frequent flyers. However, airlines usually impose restrictions on these seats for safety reasons, meaning they are not available to children, pregnant women, or elderly passengers.
What Seat Is Safest?
Reena Philip, General Manager at Air Travel Enterprises in Dubai, said that it’s difficult to make sweeping statements about safety, though it's generally believed that seats at the rear of the plane offer better chances in the event of a crash.
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, pointed out that only a limited number of aircraft configurations actually include seat 11A near an emergency exit.
Expert View
Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, explained that some people believe the rear of the aircraft is safer during a crash, referencing the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash where two flight attendants seated at the back survived.
However, he warned against generalizations by citing the 1985 Japan Airlines Boeing 747-100 crash, where the only four survivors were seated in the central-left part of the aircraft. He emphasized, “Just as no two snowflakes are the same, no two air crashes are the same, ergo, surviving such an event is not predictable — at all.”