After 82-Year-Old Woman Denied Wheelchair, Air India Flags Late Arrival

A day after an 82-year-old woman was denied a wheelchair due to being pre-booked and she suffered a fall at the Delhi airport, Air India has responded to the allegations levelled by her granddaughter against the airline. The elderly woman, whose name as per her ticket is Raj Pasricha, is now in the ICU, under observation for potential brain bleeds. Her granddaughter Parul Kanwar took to social media yesterday and said the airline must be “ashamed” for treating her “poorly”.

In a detailed statement today, the airline wished a swift recovery to the injured woman and said they had reported late for departure and that wheelchairs were unavailable at that hour at the Delhi airport. The family had arrived at the departure terminal much later than the recommended two hours before departure, it said.

“Family members/relatives 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,” read a statement issued by the Air India spokesperson.

Air India said they couldn’t arrange a wheelchair within 15 minutes due to an “unprecedented peak demand”, rubbishing Ms Kanwar’s claim that they waited for an hour for the wheelchair as “baseless”.

The passenger decided on their own to walk till the aircraft but she fell in the airport premises, the airline said, adding that the airport doctor on duty and other officials immediately attended to her and gave her first aid.

It said the family refused the doctor’s offer for additional medical attention and chose to continue their travel to Bengaluru.

“Through this process, Air India staff were courteous, escorted them from immediate check-in through to priority security check and boarding. The passenger was also provided all possible care during the flight from Delhi to Bengaluru,” said Air India.

At the Bengaluru airport, Air India staff escorted her for further medical attention and later till the drop-off point, the airline said, asserting that at no point did their official deny wheelchair or any other assistance to the passenger.

The response follows a long post by Ms Kanwar in which she accused Air India of having “little value for human life and wellbeing.”