Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakhs on Air India on Thursday, February 29, after an incident of non-availability of a wheelchair to an 80-year-old passenger who collapsed and died after walking from the aircraft to the airport terminal at Mumbai.
A passenger, who had requested a wheelchair at the Mumbai airport but decided to walk as he was asked to wait due to heavy demand for a wheelchair, had died after collapsing during the immigration process. The incident happened at the airport on February 12 after the passenger landed in an Air India flight from New York.
Air India issued a defending statement and said due to heavy demand for a wheelchair, it had requested the passenger to wait for an airline staff-assisted wheelchair, but he opted to walk along with his spouse.
“In an unfortunate incident, one of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai on February 12 fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was in a wheelchair,” the airline had said.
However, today, after an investigation into the incident, DGCA imposed a fine on Air India after an incident of non-availability of a wheelchair to an 80-year-old passenger who collapsed and died after walking from the aircraft to the airport terminal in Mumbai.