Bombay HC Warns of Penalties for Poor Wheelchair Services at Airports

The Bombay High Court (HC) on Monday, April 21, said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airport operators, and airlines must take steps to make sure that senior citizens, specially abled, and ill passengers do not suffer due to the lack of wheelchairs at airports across India.

The court expressed concern about the condition of facilities at Indian airports. It said strict action would be taken against those who fail to provide the needed services.

The observation came during the hearing of two petitions. One was filed by a woman over 50 who has mobility issues due to arthritis. She had travelled from Colombo to Mumbai in September 2023 on a Vistara flight.

The woman said she had booked wheelchairs in advance for herself and her mother, who is in her 80s. However, both were denied wheelchairs. The second petition was filed by a 53-year-old man. 

Earlier, on April 7, the court had told the respondents to give top priority to these issues. The court had also asked the DGCA to file an affidavit. After reviewing the affidavit on Monday, the court said that only having a grievance redressal system is not enough.

Justice Girish Kulkarni asked why there are so few wheelchairs available. He said they understand flights can be overbooked but questioned why wheelchairs should be. He added that people can fall sick at the airport without warning and may suddenly need help. 

Justice Kulkarni said a grievance redressal system is fine, but the real need is for the right facilities to be there when required. He highlighted that this is not how things work in other countries.

He asked how elderly people above 80 years are supposed to manage. Even a short wait can be traumatic for them. The court said DGCA should punish carelessness and poor service with strict penalties. 

The court also told airlines to follow the best international standards. It said children, the elderly, the sick, and those with disabilities in other countries get more than basic rights and full respect.

The court asked airlines to act quickly and provide facilities on their own instead of following a fixed process. In response to reports about wheelchair problems at foreign airports like Heathrow, the court said India can lead by example and show how such services should be provided.

The court will give its detailed ruling on Tuesday, April 22.