Passenger dies after not getting wheelchair, Air India fined Rs 30 lakh

Air India has been fined Rs 30 lakh after an 80-year-old passenger died while walking from the plane to the terminal at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as he was not provided with a wheelchair. The incident is of 16th February.

Taking prompt action, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show cause notice to Air India and sought a reply within seven days. After reviewing the response, the regulator found Air India guilty and imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

The airline said the passenger’s wife was provided with a wheelchair and staff asked her to wait while they arranged for another wheelchair. But instead he chose to walk to the terminal with his wife.

“On February 12, one of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was in a wheelchair. Due to the huge demand for wheelchairs, we asked the passenger to then He was requested to wait until he was also provided with the assistance of a wheelchair, but he opted to walk with his spouse,” Air India said.

Upon investigation, the DGCA found that Air India did not comply with the norms that specifically address “Carriage by air of persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) and/or persons with reduced mobility”. The airline was fined for failure to comply with the rules outlined in the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

DGCA has also issued an advisory to all airlines stressing the need to ensure adequate number of wheelchairs for passengers requiring assistance during boarding or deboarding aircraft.