Minister Intervenes: Air India Wheelchair Incident Sparks Inquiry

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu addresses Rajya Sabha on Air India's failure to provide a pre-booked wheelchair to an elderly passenger. The ministry, along with DGCA, is investigating the incident, and a show cause notice will be issued to the airline following CCTV analysis.

In a recent session of the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu disclosed that the ministry is probing a complaint against Air India for failing to provide a pre-booked wheelchair to an 82-year-old passenger at Delhi airport, prompting the issuing of a show cause notice to the airline.

The minister detailed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is engaging with the passenger's family and the airline to investigate the matter further. CCTV footage is being reviewed to determine the sequence of events, marking what Naidu described as a "very unfortunate incident".

Air India maintains that no assistance was denied and first aid was promptly provided. Additionally, complaints about delayed assistance surfaced when the passenger sustained a fall. Concurrently, other issues, like clogged toilets on an Air India flight to Chicago, are also being investigated to ensure service standards are upheld.

(With inputs from agencies.)