Air India plane crash: Is survivor's seat 11A safer?

As the world remains in shock following the terrible crash of the Air India flight from London to Ahmedabad, one question is stirring on social media : was the seat occupied by the sole survivor, 11A, safer than the others? Behind this question lies the need to understand the incomprehensible. And, perhaps, to choose your seat more wisely on your next flight…

The Air India crash disaster

On June 11, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed minutes before landing in Ahmedabad, India. The aircraft, arriving from London Heathrow, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members . At 5:42 a.m. local time, flight AI188 lost contact with the control tower. The plane crashed head-on into a building on the Vallabhbhai Patel Medical Campus, causing an explosion followed by a fire. The toll was horrific: 241 people on board died instantly. On the ground, around twenty victims were added to the tragedy. But in this hell, a miracle: only one passenger survived.

Who is the only survivor of the crash?

His name is Ramesh Vishwash Kumar , 38, a British citizen of Indian origin. He is an IT consultant returning to India for his sister's wedding. According to emergency services, he was found in a state of shock, sitting several meters from the wreckage, his face covered in soot but conscious. He was taken to hospital, suffering from minor injuries and partial amnesia of the events. His ticket lists him as seat 11A. A seemingly innocuous seat, but one that may well have played a crucial role in his incredible survival.

Seat 11A, near an emergency exit

In the classic Boeing 787-8 configuration, seat 11A is located at the front of the economy cabin, on the window side, just behind business class. Importantly, it's just steps from a door equipped with an emergency slide.

According to preliminary investigations, the impact cracked the door, making it easier to open quickly. Ramesh allegedly took advantage of this gap to escape the aircraft before the flames engulfed the aircraft.

The topic is as old as commercial aviation itself, and comes up with every crash: are some seats safer than others? Airlines deny it, insisting that all seats meet the same safety standards. But the statistics tell a different story.

A study by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , combined with data from the magazine Popular Mechanics , shows that passengers seated in the rear of the aircraft have a slightly higher survival rate . Seats located near emergency exits, unsurprisingly, also increase the chances of a quick evacuation.

But be careful: every crash is unique . The angle of impact, the speed, the location, the condition of the plane... So many variables make generalizations impossible. In the case of flight AI188, it was a series of coincidences (position, timing, broken structure) that saved the sole survivor.