DGCA issues a show cause notice to Air India as a result of a wheelchair shortage
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that it has given Tata Group-owned Air India a show cause notice for failing to comply with the regulations and breaking aircraft rules.
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The spouse chose to walk from the aircraft to the terminal because there was only one wheelchair accessible for the two of them, according to sources. He trailed his wife and her attendant for 1.5 km before collapsing and passing away at the immigration desk.
“In an unfortunate incident, one of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai on 12th February 2024 fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was on 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,” Air India mentioned in an official statement.
The airline went on to say that the man was taken to the hospital right away and was pronounced dead there. In the wake of the event, the DGCA sent letters to all airlines requesting that they guarantee a sufficient number of wheelchairs are available for passengers who need assistance getting on or off the plane.
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