Wheelchair unavailable, 80-year-old man dies after walking 1.5 km to terminal, Air India responds

An 80-year-old man collapsed and died at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday, February 12. As per reports, he arrived on an Air India flight from New York with his wife.

Giving information about this incident, an Air India spokesperson said, "One of our guests flying from New York to Mumbai on 12th February fell ill while proceeding to clear immigration with his wife, who was in a wheelchair. "

It was further mentioned that there was a heavy demand for wheelchairs and the airline had requested the passenger to wait till he was provided with one for himself. However, he opted to walk along with his spouse. While walking for 1.5 kilometres, he suffered a heart attack.

The 80-year-old man was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. The man was identified as an Indian-origin US passport holder and was travelling in economy class on Air India flight AI-116 from New York to Mumbai.

The Times of India reported that “There were 32 wheelchair passengers on this flight, but only 15 wheelchairs with accompanying staff on the ground waiting to help them.”

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