On February 29, Thursday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India following the death of an elderly individual two weeks ago, in an incident related to a request for a wheelchair at the Mumbai airport.
What is the Wheelchair row?
The man, aged in his 80s, passed away on February 12 after collapsing when he opted to walk following Air India’s notification that the wait time for a wheelchair was lengthy due to high demand.
“In an unfortunate incident, one of our passengers traveling from New York to Mumbai on February 12 fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who required a wheelchair,” the airline stated in response to the occurrence.
According to the airline, the passenger was advised to wait due to the significant demand for wheelchairs but chose to walk instead. Following his collapse during the immigration process, the airport doctor recommended immediate transportation to the hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead by medical personnel.
The regulatory body additionally stated that it had issued an advisory to all airlines, urging them to guarantee the availability of a sufficient number of wheelchairs for passengers needing assistance during boarding or disembarking from the aircraft throughout their travel.
