Denied Wheelchair, Elderly Woman Injured At Delhi Airport; Airline Responds

An 82-year-old woman was left injured at Delhi Airport after Air India allegedly failed to provide a pre-booked wheelchair, forcing her to walk before collapsing, her granddaughter claimed. According to her family, despite having secured a wheelchair in advance, she was left waiting for an hour and when no assistance was provided to her, she attempted to walk with the help of her relative but fell down near an airline counter. Currently, she is in the intensive care unit (ICU), being observed for any possible brain bleeds.

Her granddaughter Parul Kanwar reported that even after her grandmother collapsed, no first-aid was administered at the airport and when eventually her grandmother was provided with a wheelchair, they allowed her to board the plane with a bleeding lip and head injuries.

She has been in the ICU for two days, reportedly, with the left side of her body showing signs of weakness.

Her Granddaughter, Parul Kanwar's Tweet–

Writing on social media platform X, Parul Kanwar expressed her anger, "You treated my grandmother so poorly and with such little regard. You should be ashamed."

She also recounted how her family had secured the wheelchair well in advance for their Delhi to Bangalore flight on March 4. But, upon their arrival at the airport, no wheelchair was made available to them, despite requesting the Air India staff, the airport help desk, and even alternative airline staff, repeatedly.

"With no other option, this old lady slowly made her way across three parking lanes at T3 New Delhi, on foot with assistance from a family member. She managed to enter the airport on foot, still no wheelchair or assistance was provided. Ultimately, her legs gave way, and she fell–she fell in front of the Air India premium economy counter. Not one person stepped in to help," she wrote.

She also reported that even after the fall, no first aid was provided at the airport, and the family had to seek medical assistance by themselves.

These are the screenshots of Parul Kanwar's tweet from X:

"Today, I sit here typing this from the ICU. She has been here two days under observation for potential brain bleeds. My mother and father watch as doctors pump her with medication, and her left side loses strength," she wrote, "From where we stand, it's a long road ahead of pain and recovery which she did not deserve."

The family has lodged complaints with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India and is waiting for further action. 

Air India's Statement 

"There are allegations on media platforms that an elderly lady suffered grievous injuries at the Delhi airport on account of Air India. While we fully empathise with the lady and wish her a swift recovery, we would like to state the following based on our investigation:

The said passenger, travelling with her family members, had arrived at the departure terminal much later than the recommended 2 hours before departure," said the Air India spokesperson.

"Due to the unprecedented peak demand at that hour, a wheelchair could not be made available within the 15 minutes that the passenger's relatives spent waiting for it. The claims of the passenger having waited for an hour for the wheelchair are baseless," the spokesperson added, "At no point was the wheelchair or any assistance denied to the passenger. Air India's staff cooperated with the guests through their journey. We have reached out to the guest's family and pray for her wellbeing."