Wheelchair unavailable, Air India passenger walks 1.5 km to terminal, collapses and dies

An Air India passenger died after walking 1.5 km from plane to terminal (Representational image)

An 80-year-old Air India passenger collapsed and died at Mumbai airport on Monday, reportedly due to a shortage of wheelchairs. According to a Times of India report, the passenger and his wife had flown from New York to Mumbai on Monday. Both of them had requested wheelchairs.

However, with only one wheelchair available between the two of them, the husband decided to walk from the airplane to the terminal. He walked 1.5 km behind his wife and her attendant, but collapsed and died upon reaching the immigration desk.

“Due to wheelchair shortage, only one wheelchair assistant showed up for the couple. The wife sat on the wheelchair, while the husband decided to follow her and walked alongside. He must have walked about 1.5 km to reach the immigration area where he suddenly collapsed due to a heart attack. He was taken to the Mumbai airport medical facility and from there rushed to Nanavati hospital,” a source told the publication.

The man was identified as an Indian-origin person holding a US passport. He and his wife had booked economy class tickets on Air India flight AI-116 that left New York on Sunday.

An airport source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Times of India that there were 32 passengers who requested wheelchairs on the flight but only 15 wheelchairs available.

Air India confirmed the incident, calling it “unfortunate.”

“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.

"Due to heavy demand for wheelchairs, we had requested the passenger to wait till he was also provided with wheelchair assistance but he opted to walk along with his spouse. As advised by the airport doctor attending to him after taking ill, the passenger was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared to have passed away," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.