Widow of Army officer in ICU after airlines deny wheelchair assistance at Delhi airport; netizens say ‘awful’

An 82-year-old woman, the widow of a Lt General, was admitted to the ICU after suffering a brain stroke following a fall at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after she was allegedly denied a wheelchair that had been pre-booked with Air India.

According to media reports, the incident occurred on March 4 when the 82-year-old woman, widow of a Lieutenant General, was scheduled to fly to Bengaluru. A family member approached the assistance desk outside the airport and waited for about an hour for a wheelchair.

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However, after waiting for a considerable amount of time, the senior citizen and her grandson walked to the airport entry gate. Unfortunately, the woman fell near an airline counter, sustaining head injuries, a bleeding nose, and cuts on her upper lip and tongue.

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In a post on X, Granddaughter of the injured lady, Parul Kanwar wrote, "I post this because I have no choice, and because it infuriates me that there is such little value for human life and wellbeing."

"Air India, you treated my grandmother so poorly, and with such little regard. You should be ashamed," she noted.

Kanwar said, “We tried for almost an hour, requesting airline staff, airport help desk, alternate airline staff from @indigo (who incidentally had a free wheelchair but won’t share). With no other option, this old lady slowly made her way across 3 parking lanes at T3 New Delhi, on foot with assistance from a family member. She managed to enter the airport on foot, still no wheelchair or assistance was provided. Ultimately, her legs gave way, and she fell - she fell in front of the Air India premium economy counter.”

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She further alleged that not one person stepped in to help. "We requested someone to help get first aid - no help. Expectation from Air India staff was for the family member to go to the MI room and get medical aid. Finally, the wheelchair arrived, and she was promptly boarded without a proper checkup with a bleeding lip and injury to her head and nose. On flight crew did help with ice packs and called ahead to Bangalore airport for medical aid, where she was seen by a doctor and given 2 stitches," she added.

“Today, I sit here typing this from the ICU. She has been here 2 days under observation for potential brain bleeds. My mother and father watch as doctors pump her with medication, and her left side loses strength. From where we stand, it’s a long road ahead of pain and recovery which she did not deserve,” she added.

Air India reacts

Air India said in an official statement, “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 claims of the passenger having waited for an hour for the wheelchair are baseless.”

“At no point was the wheelchair or any assistance denied to the passenger. 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,” Air India said in a statement.

“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 on duty immediately attended to her and administered first aid,” it added.

It further noted, “The passenger was also provided all possible care during the flight from Delhi to Bengaluru.”

Not ‘first time’

Earlier in February, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had imposed a fine of ₹30 lakh on Air India following the death of an 80-year-old passenger who chose to walk from the aircraft to the terminal due to a shortage of wheelchairs. The incident occurred on February 12, when the elderly passenger, a US citizen of Indian origin, arrived in Mumbai from New York on an Air India flight with his wife.

Also Read: Air India refunds Indian-American Founder’s first-class ticket money as ‘gross’ cabin video goes viral on Instagram

Netizens say, ‘awful’

A user Amit commented, “I had same experience 2 days ago at Mumbai airport..my parent was made to get off the wheelchair by Air India attendant at the arrival and she had to walk all the way to airport car parking and @airindia is just not bothered nor ashamed about it.”

Another user said, “Pathetic services by Air India. I wish your grandmother a speedy recovery.”