An 80-year-old passenger died, Air India fined Rs 30 lakh. Since there were not enough wheelchairs available, the passenger decided to walk from the plane to the terminal.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which oversees aviation, fined Air India Rs 30 lakh on Thursday for the incident in which an 80-year-old passenger at the Mumbai airport, who was not given a wheelchair, fainted and later passed away while going from the plane to the terminal. On February 12, the accident took place. According to a top DGCA official, Air India has been fined Rs 30 lakh for failing to supply the elderly customer with a wheelchair on Thursday.
The airline was given a show-cause notice by the regulator for violating Aircraft Rules, 1937, and failing to abide by the terms of "CAR SECTION 3, SERIES 'M', PART I regarding "Carriage by Air: Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) /or Persons with Reduced Mobility."
On February 20, Air India responded to the notice. The airline stated that the elderly man did not want to wait for the wheelchair; instead, he wished to walk with his wife, who was sitting in a wheelchair. After walking a considerable distance to the terminal, he fell and passed away.
The passenger's case was brought before the National Human Rights Commission on February 20. The NHRC sent a notice to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation requesting a report in four weeks.
The officials stated that, "Apart from failing to explain what changes were made to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, Air India failed to inform those involved of any action taken against the erring employees." Further to that, a warning has been sent to all airlines, asking them to make sure there are enough wheelchairs available for travelers who need assistance getting on or off the plane.
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