Challenges Arise as Indian Air Passengers Overuse Wheelchair Assistance
The issue of unnecessary wheelchair assistance requests among Indian fliers and the tragic incident at Mumbai airport highlights the need for stricter regulations.
Every year, thousands of Indian travelers request wheelchair assistance when booking their flights, but not all of them truly need it. Airlines have tolerated this behavior to boost bookings. However, a tragic incident at Mumbai airport in February highlighted the consequences of misuse of wheelchair services by Indian fliers. An 80-year-old man and his wife arrived on a flight from New York, but there weren't enough wheelchairs available due to increased wheelchair requests on airport.
Despite 32 requests, only 15 were provided. As a result, only one wheelchair was available for the couple. Instead of waiting, the man walked to the immigration counter with his wife and suffered a fatal heart attack. This incident emphasizes the need for stricter policies to ensure genuine Indian air travelers Wheelchair usage thus preventing such tragedies in the future and preventing accessibility challenges faced by Indian air travelers.
