Why General Aviation Can Be Safer Than Commercial Air Travel: A Perspective After Ahmedabad

On June 12, 2025 , tragedy struck when Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming 279 lives and devastating countless families. A catastrophe of such scale reminds us of aviation's critical need for safety—but it also prompts us to look closely at whether general aviation (GA) actually offers a safer, more controlled alternative . 1. Scale: GA Fleets Are Smaller—Meaning More Awareness GA typically involves single-engine or light twin-engine aircraft , flown by owner-pilots or small crews—often personally invested in maintenance and quality of operations. Commercial jets, though massively regulated, have broader systems and layers of complexity. Isolating flaws can take longer, and failures carry higher consequences. 2. Regulatory Oversight: GA Pilots Take Ownership GA pilots maintain their own aircraft, often working closely with trusted maintenance crews. They typically perform ...