An 80-year old man who flew in with his wife, both of them booked as wheelchair passengers on an Air India flight from New York, collapsed at Mumbai airport immigration counter and died on Monday.
Due to wheelchair shortage, only one wheelchair assistant showed up for the couple. The wife sat on the wheelchair, while the husband decided to follow her and walked alongside.
He must have walked about 1.5 km to reach the immigration area where he suddenly collapsed due to a heart attack. He was taken to the Mumbai airport medical facility and from there rushed to Nanavati hospital,” the source said.
The deceased was an Indian-origin, US-passport holder. They had pre-booked the wheelchair facility. The couple was booked in economy class of Mumbai-bound Air India flight AI-116 that left New York on Sunday.
32 wheelchair passengers on this flight
“There were 32 wheelchair passengers on this flight, but only 15 wheelchairs with accompanying staff on ground waiting on ground to help them,” said an airport source requesting anonymity.
An Air India spokesperson clarified: “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.”
Calling it “an unfortunate incident”, Air India said that it was “in constant touch with the family members of the bereaved, extending necessary assistance”.
A ground staffer, requesting anonymity, said: “We’ve often found that aged couples aren’t comfortable parting with the spouse and travelling alone from the aircraft to the airport terminal. Those with mobility issues, hearing problems prefer to stay with each other when moving from the aircraft through the terminal building.” A source said: “The New York-Mumbai flight was scheduled to land at 11.30am, but on Monday it landed late at 2.10pm.”
It’s a well-known industry secret that many passengers seeking wheelchair assistance don’t have any mobility issues. “Over a decade ago, airlines, including Air India, charged for the wheelchair facility. Only those with a medical certificate were provided a wheelchair for free. Then following pressure from various groups, airlines did away with the medical certificate requirement,” said a senior airline official.