The civil aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to Air India.
An 80-year-old man collapsed and died at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as he walked from the aircraft to the terminal instead of waiting for a wheelchair. The passenger, who flew from New York on an Air India plane, had requested assistance, but could not get a wheelchair due to heavy demand at the airport.
Pointing out that, under the Civil Aviation Requirement, airlines are mandatorily required to provide assistance to persons with disability or reduced mobility, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued a show-cause notice to Air India and asked the airline to respond within seven days.
In a statement, the airline said that the passenger's wife had been provided a wheelchair and staff had asked him to wait while they arranged another one. But he instead chose to walk to the terminal with his wife.
"One of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai on 12th February fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was in a wheelchair. 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," Air India said.
Following the collapse, the airport's medical team quickly attended to the passenger. They promptly rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was, unfortunately, declared dead.
"As advised by the airport doctor attending to him after taking ill, the passenger was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared to have passed away," the airline said.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said an advisory has been issued to all airlines to ensure that an adequate number of wheelchairs are available for passengers who require assistance while entering or exiting the aircraft.