The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of INR 30 lakh on Air India. The fine is a result of an incident that led to the death of an elderly passenger at the Mumbai airport.
On February 12, an over-80-year-old passenger couldn't get a pre-booked wheelchair and was asked to wait due to high demand. Then, he chose to walk instead of waiting. Tragically, the passenger died while walking through immigration.
According to reports, Air India was issued a show cause notice. The airline failed to comply with the provisions of CAR Section 3, Series 'M', Part-I on 'Carriage by Air: Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility'. This non-compliance is a violation of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Air India responded on February 20, stating that the elderly passenger chose to walk alongside his wife, who was using a wheelchair. They were asked to wait for the second wheelchair, but he instead chose to walk. The airline failed to provide a wheelchair to the elderly passenger, violating CAR Section 3.
The DGCA found that Air India did not take any corrective measures to prevent these kinds of incidents in the future. Consequently, Air India was fined INR 30 lakh for violating the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Now, the authorities have also sent an advisory to all airlines to make sure that there is an adequate supply of wheelchairs for passengers requiring assistance.
Share
Tweet
