A screen grab Google Trends showing spike in Google searches from Telangana after Ahmedabad air crash
In the aftermath of the crash involving Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, Google searches showed how people tried to seek answers, track developments, and understand the wider implications of the tragedy.
Within hours of the crash, search interest in ‘Air India flight cancellation’ surged across India by 1000% between 1.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. on June 12. The term continued to see repeated spikes throughout the day, closing at 610% by 9.30 p.m., reflecting mounting anxiety and uncertainty over air travel. The search picked up momentum again the following morning, with an increase to 670% recorded by 8.30 a.m. and hitting 760% by 12.30 p.m. Although slightly lower, this interest persisted even on June 14, registering a 500% rise between 11.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.
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Residents in Telangana, began searching for ‘flight status‘ that surged from 2 p.m. on June 12, peaking dramatically at 2 a.m. on June 14. Similarly, searches for ‘Air India Hyderabad‘ spiked during the same hour, followed closely by an increased interest in ‘Boeing 737‘ at 3 a.m. These figures suggest that passengers and their families were scrambling for updates and clarity as fear of delays and cancellations spread across airports.
Notably, ‘mayday call‘ searches picked up around Thursday afternoon and within an hour, touched 300% increase in searches. The keyword peaked at 4.30 p.m. on June 12, with an 800% increase in searches.
However, Telangana was not alone in its search for clarity. Across India, the Ahmedabad crash rapidly became the most-searched topic, with Google Trends registering a surge of over 1,000% above normal levels.
Aviation-related search terms, many of which had seen little activity in the days leading up to the crash, suddenly saw enormous jumps. The word ‘cadaver‘, likely driven by reports of fatalities and identification challenges, saw over a 600% surge in search interest. ‘Boeing 737‘, the aircraft model at the centre of the crash, rose by 500%, as did ‘black box‘, ‘aircraft cabin‘, and ‘flight number‘, signalling an appetite for technical insight associated with crash investigations.
Other prominent searches that recorded a significant hike include ‘AI171‘, ‘DGCA investigation‘, ‘flight data recorder‘ and ‘black box found‘.
Even the name of the sole known survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, peaked multiple times during the two-day period, recording over 100% increase, as people searched for details of the miraculous escape.
Published – June 15, 2025 07:21 am IST
