In a distressing event, an elderly man of 80 years, who had flown in from New York on an Air India flight with his spouse, passed away at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday due to absence of wheelchair for the 80-year-old because of which the elderly man had to traverse approximately 1.5 km from the aircraft to the immigration counter, which led to his collapse.

The couple had reserved wheelchairs in advance, but only the wife was provided one, as reported by TOI. The man was accompanying his wife on foot and collapsed from a heart attack upon reaching the immigration counter.

An Air India representative stated, “A passenger on our flight from New York to Mumbai on the 12th of February became unwell while heading to clear immigration with his wife, who was using a wheelchair. Due to a high demand for wheelchairs, we asked the passenger to wait until we could provide him with wheelchair assistance, but he chose to walk with his wife. Following the advice of the airport doctor who attended to him after he fell ill, the passenger was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”

Wheelchair Unavailability

The departed, identified as a US passport holder of Indian origin, was traveling in the economy class on Air India flight AI-116 from New York to Mumbai.

A source at the airport informed TOI, “This flight had 32 passengers requiring wheelchairs, but there were only 15 wheelchairs with accompanying staff on the ground ready to assist them.” Air India maintained regular contact with the family members to provide any necessary support, the spokesperson informed TOI.

A ground staff member told TOI, “We've often noticed that elderly couples are not comfortable separating from each other and traveling alone from the aircraft to the airport terminal. Those with mobility or hearing issues prefer to stay together when moving from the aircraft through the terminal building.”

The flight was scheduled to land in Mumbai Airport at 11:30 am but was reportedly delayed and landed at 2:10 pm.

Earlier in February this year, a woman in a wheelchair was asked to stand up by airport staff in Kolkata. This incident occurred during the security clearance at the airport.

She shared in a post on X, “Yesterday evening during the security clearance at Kolkata airport, the officer asked me (a wheelchair user) to stand up, not once but thrice. First, she asked me to get up and walk two steps into the kiosk. I told her I can’t as I have a disability. Inside, she again asked me to stand up. I said, I can’t. She said sirf do minute khade ho jao (Please stand for two minutes). I explained again that I have a disability by birth. This appalling lack of empathy has left me shaken, furious. There have been instances in the past too, and show that Kolkata airport has learnt nothing from them.”

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