Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
18 June 2025 | 12:24 CAT

📸 Media misses the bigger picture: Indian crash gains headlines, while Gaza death toll fades into background.

Last Thursday’s devastating plane crash in India on a flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, UK claimed the lives of nearly all 241 passengers and crew members aboard, with reports confirming only one survivor. The crash, which occurred on takeoff, also killed over 30 civilians on the ground, shaking the aviation world and prompting global media attention, albeit briefly.

In this week’s Media Lens on Radio Islam International, analyst Ibrahim Deen reflected on the saturation and shortfall of media coverage surrounding the incident. “The story dominated headlines for two days,” he noted, “yet it pushed aside ongoing tragedies, like the 89 Palestinians reportedly killed in Gaza on the same day.” He pointed to an ongoing imbalance in global media priorities where human suffering is often only headline-worthy depending on geography and spectacle.

The aircraft in question was a Boeing 787 MAX 8, not to be confused with the troubled 737 MAX 8 model implicated in past fatal crashes between 2018 and 2023. Early reports from investigators cite possible causes such as engine failure, bird strike, or pilot error with black boxes recovered and analysis underway.

Ibrahim called for broader context when reporting such events. “There’s been an increase in aviation fatalities this year, over 500 so far, across 49 accidents,” he said. “But when compared with the 35 million flights recorded last year, the scale remains minimal.” He argued that failing to highlight this context fuels public paranoia, rather than informed awareness.

Despite the rare but tragic nature of air accidents, air travel remains statistically the safest mode of transportation. “You’re far more likely to die in a car crash than in a plane,” Ibrahim emphasized, referencing UK data showing a 1-in-93 fatality risk in cars versus a minuscule risk aboard aircraft.

While change in aviation safety tends to be slow, every major crash typically triggers protocol reforms. Questions now linger over whether this particular aircraft was safe for takeoff at all. “It didn’t seem to have the speed,” Ibrahim suggested. “That alone may prompt critical revisions in future runway clearance checks.”

With aircraft systems now highly advanced and redundancy measures embedded, Ibrahim concluded, “Though tragic, each incident contributes to making air travel safer.”

Listen to the Media Lens on Sabahul Muslam with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Ibrahim Deen.