The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to Air India, a Tata Group-owned airline, following the death of an 80-year-old passenger at Mumbai airport. The incident occurred on the Air India New York-Mumbai flight on Monday (February 12). The elderly passenger, identified as Babu Patel, collapsed at the Mumbai airport during the immigration process after walking approximately 1.5 km from the plane to the immigration counter.
Reports indicate that both Babu Patel and his wife, Narmadaben Patel, 76, had requested wheelchairs for assistance upon disembarking from Air India's AI-116 flight. However, due to a shortage of wheelchairs, the couple had to walk, leading to the unfortunate incident.
Babu Patel, an Indian-origin US passport holder, was traveling in the economy class of Air India flight AI-116 from New York to Mumbai. Air India, in its clarification, mentioned that the airline authorities had requested the passenger to wait for wheelchair assistance, but he chose to walk.
According to an Air India spokesperson, "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." The spokesperson added that, as advised by the airport doctor, the passenger was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared deceased.
In response to the incident, the DGCA has issued a show cause notice to Air India, citing non-compliance with civil aviation requirements provisions and a violation of Aircraft Rules, 1937. Air India has been given seven days to respond to the notice and provide an explanation for its failure to adhere to regulatory requirements.
Additionally, the DGCA has issued a comprehensive advisory to all airline operators, emphasizing the need to ensure the availability of a sufficient number of wheelchairs to aid passengers during both boarding and deplaning procedures.