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The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined an airline Rs3m (£28,700) for causing a delay in wheelchair service that resulted in an 80-year-old man experiencing a cardiac arrest.
The Indian aviation safety authority has issued a fine of Rs3m (£28,700) to an airline for causing a delay in providing wheelchair assistance, resulting in an 80-year-old passenger having a heart attack.
Last month, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) sent a show cause notice to Air India due to their failure to follow regulations for individuals with limited mobility, resulting in a passenger’s death.
Upon arriving at the Mumbai airport from New York on 12 February via an Air India flight, Babu Patel and his wife made a prior request for their reserved wheelchairs.
The pair was requested to be patient for aid as there was a high demand for wheelchairs.
Although the woman was given a wheelchair, Patel supposedly chose to accompany his wife on foot rather than wait any longer.
Patel’s health suddenly deteriorated while he was on his way to immigration. Emergency services quickly transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared deceased.
After the event, the National Human Rights Commission of India requested that aviation authorities submit a comprehensive report within four weeks. The Commission also requested compensation to be given to the family of the deceased.
The DCGA announced on Thursday that the airline did not follow the rules and did not hold the “offending employees” accountable. The DCGA stated, “The airline also did not report any steps taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.”
The regulatory body also provided a recommendation to all airlines to guarantee that necessary wheelchairs were accessible for their passengers.
Air India replied to the notice asking for an explanation, stating that they have been regularly communicating with the grieving family members and providing necessary support.
Air India has a policy in place to provide wheelchair assistance to any passenger who requests it while making reservations.
In January, a passenger on an Air India flight claimed that she was given food containing meat, even though the packaging was labeled as vegetarian.
Veera Jain shared photos of her meal on the flight from Calicut to Mumbai with X.
In one of the photos captured by Ms. Jain, the packaging of the meal states “vegetarian main course” – however, in the second photo, there is chicken served with the rice dish.
Air India replied to the post and requested Ms Jain to message them directly.
I do not have access to the source material.
