MUMBAI, India — Discovering cockroaches at 35,000 feet is not on any traveler’s checklist, yet that is what unfolded aboard Air India’s long-haul Flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai, according to multiple passenger accounts and an airline statement. The episode, which unfolded during a scheduled refueling stop in Kolkata, adds a fresh wrinkle to the flag carrier’s recent safety and service headaches.

NEW DELHI — India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) cautioned Air India about significant lapses in emergency safety protocols on its Airbus fleet in the days leading up to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, according to a report by Reuters. The warning centered on overdue inspections and delayed compliance responses, highlighting ongoing regulatory concerns for travelers seeking the highest standards in air travel safety.

Experts: No Single Seat Guarantees Survival in Plane Crashes

In the wake of the fatal Air India crash on June 12 near Ahmedabad, international aviation authorities and safety experts are dispelling myths about in-flight survival—particularly the notion that a specific seat, such as 11A, offers passengers a reliable safeguard should disaster strike.