What should have been a routine journey for an 82-year-old woman turned into a nightmare at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi. In a tragic incident, the elderly passenger, the widow of a decorated Lieutenant General, landed in the ICU after suffering a brain stroke, following a fall at Terminal 3, after she was allegedly denied a wheelchair which was pre-booked with Air India.
She is being treated for potential brain bleeds. The victim’s granddaughter, Paraul Kanwar, alleged that no first aid was administered at the airport and that, after eventually being provided with a wheelchair, her grandmother was allowed to board the flight with a bleeding lip and head injuries. The family now says she has been in the ICU for two-days, with the left side of her body showing signs of weakness. The incident happened on March 4 at the Delhi airport, and the passenger later boarded the flight to Bengaluru.
Family alleged when a wheelchair was arranged by the airliner it was too late and passenger boarded without a medical check-up. The flight crew provided ice packs and alerted the Bengaluru airport medical team, where she was given two stitches upon arrival. Family has lodged complaints at DGCA and Air India and awaiting action.
Air India responded amid public outrage and claimed that at no point was the wheelchair or any assistance denied to the passenger. Issuing a detailed statement after investigating the incident, Air India on Saturday said the family members accompanying the passenger had reported at the PRM (Person with Reduced Mobility) desk located near Air India’s ticketing office less than 90 minutes before the scheduled time of departure to request for a wheelchair.
“Due to the unprecedented peak demand at that hour, a wheelchair could not be made available within the 15 minutes that the passenger’s relatives spent waiting for it,” the airline said, adding that the claims of having waited for an hour for the wheelchair are baseless.
On their own accord, the passenger decided to walk along with those accompanying her. She unfortunately suffered a fall in the airport premises. Upon noticing the incident, officials of the Delhi Airport, as well as the airport doctor immediately attended to her.
“Upon reaching Bengaluru, the guest was escorted by our staff for further medical attention. At no point was the wheelchair or any assistance denied. Air India’s staff cooperated with the guests through their journey. We have reached out to the guest’s family and pray for her wellbeing,” the airline said.