In contrast to the optimism running through the East West office, and India’s airline sector generally, the global aviation industry was in turmoil in 1991 because of the Gulf War and a hike in oil prices. The iconic Pan Am succumbed to mismanagement and folded dramatically on 4 December 1991, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in aircraft and terminals. Earlier that year, both Eastern Airlines and Midway Airlines had shut shop in the United States.
