Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 30 lakhs on Air India after an incident of non-availability of a wheelchair to an 80-year-old passenger who collapsed and died after strolling from the plane to the airport terminal at Mumbai, stated the official on Thursday. The improvement comes days after stories surfaced that an elderly man died on the Mumbai airport after he was refused a wheelchair regardless of prior request to an airline and compelled to stroll.
NHRC discover to DGCA over death(*30*)
Earlier on February 20, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) despatched a discover to the DGCA over the death of the air passenger. According to the media stories, the US-based Indian-origin man collapsed after strolling for about 1.5 km on the best way to the immigration space. He was strolling alongside his spouse, who was in a wheelchair.
The Human rights physique stated in an announcement, that the elderly couple was travelling from New York to India, including it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that an 80-year-old man died on the Mumbai airport as he needed to stroll when not supplied with a wheelchair regardless of prior request to the airline.
The Commission noticed that the content material of the media report, if true, raises a severe subject of violation of human rights of the sufferer. It has requested the DGCA for a element report in 4 weeks. It ought to embrace the standing of compensation if any, offered to the following of kin of the deceased, the assertion stated.
“There has been a significant increase in the number of air passengers as well as the airfare, but the standard of facilities doesn’t seem to have improved proportionately resulting in several complaints reported in the media and posted on social media,” the Commission noticed.
“According to the media report, there were 32 wheelchair passengers on the particular flight but there were only 15 available with accompanying staff on the ground to help them. The wife sat in the wheelchair while the husband followed her on foot and collapsed after some time. The elderly couple was travelling from New York to India,” it stated.
(With companies inputs)
