Mumbai: In a shocking incident of alleged negligence by officials, an octogenarian Air India passenger traveling from New York to Mumbai, who requested for a wheelchair, died four days after collapsing at the airport while walking amid non-availability of the wheelchair, sources said. The airline company has said that the passenger was asked to wait due to heavy demand for wheelchairs, but opted to walk with his wife.
It is learnt that the incident took place at the airport on Feb 12. Sources said that the 80-year-old man along with his wife landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in an Air India flight AI 116. After being taken ill on board the flight, the passenger had requested for a wheelchair on landing at the Mumbai airport, sources said. However, the non-availability of a wheelchair at the airport prompted the passenger to walk on foot for one and a half kilometers to the immigration office, sources said.
But on the way there, the elderly man collapsed and suffered a suspected heart attack. The elderly passenger was taken to Nanavati Hospital near Mumbai International Airport for medical facilities where he passed away after some time. Sources said that a total of 15 wheelchairs were available at the airport, but there were twice as many passengers waiting on the plane.
Reacting to the incident, an Air India spokesperson on Friday said the passenger was more than 80 years old. The spokesperson said that due to heavy demand for wheelchairs, 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 said.
The airline said it is in constant touch with the family members of the bereaved, extending necessary assistance, and added that it has a clearly laid down policy to offer wheelchair assistance to all passengers who pre-book the same. The ETV Bharat correspondent repeatedly contacted the Mumbai airport spokesperson in this regard, but could not get any response from them.
