In a distressing incident, an 80-year-old man, who arrived on an Air India flight from New York with his wife, tragically passed away at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday.
The elderly gentleman collapsed while walking approximately 1.5 km from the plane to the immigration counter, as there was a shortage of wheelchairs.
Although the couple had pre-booked wheelchairs, only the wife received one. The man, walking alongside his wife, collapsed due to a heart attack upon reaching the immigration counter.
Air India”s response
An Air India spokesperson stated, “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.
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.” Air India remained in constant communication with family members to offer any necessary assistance.
A ground staff member shared, “We’ve often found that aged couples aren’t comfortable parting with the spouse and traveling 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.”
The flight, scheduled to land in Mumbai at 11:30 am, was reportedly delayed and landed at 2:10 pm.
Similar Incident
In another incident earlier this February, a wheelchair-bound woman faced a distressing encounter with airport staff in Kolkata. During security clearance, she was asked to stand up despite her disability. The incident left her shaken and furious, highlighting the need for greater sensitivity and understanding among airport personnel.
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