An 82-year-old woman was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Bengaluru after she fell at the Delhi airport, allegedly due to being denied a wheelchair by Air India. The woman, a widow of a decorated Lieutenant General, had booked a wheelchair in advance, but her family members claimed that it was not made available when they needed it.
According to Air India, the family members arrived at the airport less than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time to request a wheelchair, but it was not available due to the peak demand. The family was told that a wheelchair could not be made available within the 15 minutes they spent waiting. The Air India statement claims that the passenger’s relatives decided to walk with her, and she unfortunately fell due to her poor physical condition.
The woman suffered head injuries, a bleeding nose, and a cut on her upper lip and tongue. An airport doctor administered first aid, but the family declined additional medical attention and insisted on continuing their travel to Bengaluru. Air India staff escorted them through check-in, security clearance, and boarding, and even accompanied them to a medical facility in Bengaluru after their flight.
Air India’s statement claims that the wheelchair was not denied, and their staff cooperated with the family throughout their journey. However, the woman’s granddaughter, Parul Kanwar, shared a different account on social media, alleging that her grandmother was not provided with first aid and that she had been in the ICU for two days with a loss of strength in her left side. The incident has sparked outrage and concern for the woman’s well-being.