- Friday, May 10, 2024
The airline said the elderly passenger, who had arrived in Mumbai from New York, was requested to wait for a wheelchair but he chose to walk with his wheelchair-bound wife.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S premier carrier Air India has been fined Rs 30 lakh (£28,555) after an elderly passenger died while walking from the aircraft to the terminal since he was not provided with a wheelchair.
The shocking incident happened at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, on February 16. The ill-fated passenger had landed in Mumbai from New York.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s civil aviation regulator, issued a show-cause notice to the carrier seeking a response in a week. It found the airline guilty after reviewing the response and imposed the hefty fine.
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According to a report by NDTV, Air India said the wife of the deceased passenger, 80, was provided with a wheelchair and he was requested to wait till they arranged for another one. The man, however, chose to walk to the terminal with his wife.
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“One of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai on 12th February fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was in a wheelchair. Due to heavy demand for wheelchairs, we had requested the passenger to wait till he was also provided with wheelchair assistance but he opted to walk along with his spouse,” Air India said, according to the report.
The DGCA found that Air India had not complied with the rules that specifically address the “Carriage by Air – Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility”.
The failure to adhere to the regulations given in Aircraft Rules, 1937, saw the regulator taking the step.
The regulator has also issued an advisory to all carriers emphasising on the need to ensure adequate wheelchairs for passengers requiring help while embarking or disembarking from the aircraft.
