Air India fails to deliver a disabled passenger's wheelchair at destination airport

Are the differently-abled not meant to travel? Should we just sit on a chair and spend our entire lives on it only? Air India has taken that chair away from me as well.”

~ Ajay Gupta, Author; Founder; Entrepreneur

On the 19th of July 2022, Mr Ajay Gupta, Founder Director of SK Educations Pvt. Ltd., a wheelchair user, shared a horrific experience while travelling via the infamous airline – ‘Air India’ from Delhi to Mumbai.

Mr Gupta recounted that at the Delhi Airport, he had submitted his battery-operated wheelchair to the Air India staff and received a receipt for it in exchange once he boarded the flight. As he reached his destination, Mumbai, Mr Gupta asked for his wheelchair and was told that he would receive it at the baggage belt which was uncanny since usually when he travels, his personal wheelchair is brought to the aircraft gate and he uses his own wheelchair after landing at the destination.

At the baggage belt, he was intimated that one of his baggage was left behind at Delhi Airport. He didn’t pay heed to it as he was keen on receiving his wheelchair first so that he could attend to the work for which he had reached Mumbai. He kept on waiting at the luggage belt until the belt was empty. It was then that he met with a piece of shocking and disheartening news; the baggage left behind was indeed his wheelchair and he had no other means to mobilise himself at the new destination.

You travel, you are tired, you land, and you find that your source of movement, your ‘wheelchair’ has been misplaced. On top of that, you are vexed by the staff members. This was a horrific experience that I had today traveling with @airindiain

— Ajay Gupta (@ajay_bachpan) July 19, 2022

As per the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, on carriage by air of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility,

“Airlines should do their utmost to ascertain that any such special equipment of persons with disability or reduced mobility is properly identified and tagged, and is always transported with the passenger concerned in the same aircraft.”

To his surprise, rather than suggesting solutions for the same, the staff was indifferent to the value the wheelchair holds for a person with disability like Mr Gupta and were adamant on the fact that the loss was due to the callousness of the Delhi Airport and not theirs – merely suggesting that all they could do was drop him to his car.

Mr Gupta was made to wait for hours in the uncomfortable and compact aisle wheelchair that has very narrow dimensions and is not designed for longer use. He was not even provided with an assistance to support him to use the washroom during the long wait. 

I had to go to the restroom, I had not eaten anything but in spite of helping me they just said, ‘Hum Apko Gadi Tak Chhor Aayenge’. It was hectic for me after a long journey sitting on the compact 13x36x42 sized strapped wheelchair, I had nowhere to go even after the landing

— Ajay Gupta (@ajay_bachpan) July 19, 2022

The staff wanted to take away the aisle chair to use elsewhere and as per them, there were no surplus wheelchairs that could be given to him for use for the hectic day he had ahead. “I use my own electric wheelchair, which makes me feel empowered and independent because I do not have to rely on people to take me to various places.” said Mr. Gupta,

An assistive device like a wheelchair is enabling and hence, a very significant article in the life of a person with a disability. In the past, we have witnessed a plethora of similar cases where Air India itself has had conflicts with passengers with disabilities that reveal unequal treatment and multiple violations of the various amendments introduced by the government of India. Be it the case of Dr. Anita Ghai, Pratyush Nalam and Siddharth Mhatre. 

Chapter 2 of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 states,  “No person shall be deprived of his or her personal liberty only on the ground of disability.”

These are only instances with respect to discrimination against persons with disabilities. There are various other accounts where people with disabilities have faced issues with the airlines in the past. The staff did not address Mr Gupta’s questions and merely filed a ‘bag-lost’ complaint which seemed to be a half-hearted attempt by the staff and crew to make up for the omission that the airlines made. 

They even filed a fake ‘Bag-Lost Complaint’. Forget about help, there was no support and pathetic treatment over it. The lack of awareness towards the very sensitive differently-abled is frustrating. Where’s the inclusivity? Where’s the space for those who want to feel inclusive?

— Ajay Gupta (@ajay_bachpan) July 19, 2022

Way forward

In 2022, while we celebrate pride month, dignified transportation is a basic right of every individual whether disabled or not, which they should be able to exercise independently. People with disabilities are stripped of their pride when their Assistive Devices that are a source of empowerment and pride in situations of travel, activities of daily living and leisure are handled in such careless manner. Persons with disabilities consider their mobility equipments and assistive devices as extension of their bodies. 

Every airline has descriptive sections on their websites that laud their unending services for people with disabilities but there is an evident gap between the words and their actions.  It is essential that the Civil Aviation Requirements are followed through, for instance, wheelchairs provided should be standardized and can accommodate the needs of every user. In case of lost, damaged or delayed equipments, a suitable alternative should be provided by the airline/aerodrome operator.

While Mr. Gupta says he woud be taking this incident to its logical conclusion so that next time non one else suffers. Moving forward, with management of Air India going to Tata Group, we hope that the culture and service that the conglomerate offers – resonates in its airline through an equal, dignified and rights-based approach.