IndiGo denies wheelchair assistance to 83-year-old woman
Bhubanwswar: IndiGo Airlines is facing criticism for allegedly denying a wheelchair to 83-year-old Sanatan Rath at Delhi Airport.
The incident took place on March 5, when Rath traveled from Bhubaneswar to Delhi on IndiGo flight 6E 5061.
Dr Bishnu Prasad Panigrahi, an X user, alleged that Indigo Airlines failed to provide a wheelchair to his 83-year-old mother-in-law at Delhi Airport.
Panigrahi, Rath's son-in-law, took to social media to express his outrage, accusing the airline of not being "customer-friendly." He claimed that despite requesting a wheelchair while booking, the airline failed to provide one, forcing Rath to walk to their vehicle outside the airport.
"Indigo flight 6E 5061 Bhubaneswar to Delhi on 5th March, Mrs Susama Rath 83 yrs wife of Late Prof (Dr) Sanatan Rath, my mother in law, had requested for wheel chair while booking. Unfortunately, the haughty Indigo did not help her with a wheelchair when she landed in Delhi, " Panigrahi wrote on X.
"She had to walk all the out to our vehicle. Air India and Indigo now have a monopoly, they are no longer customer friendly. At least for senior citizens, some empathy should be visible. Shameful attitude," he added.
Indigo Airlines responded to the post, stating that a wheelchair needs to be pre-booked at least 48 hours prior to departure. However, they acknowledged that no wheelchair was added to Rath's booking.
"Dr Panigrahi, we'd like to extend our deepest gratitude for allowing us to address this on the call. As discussed, a wheelchair needs to be pre-booked at least 48 hrs prior to the departure; however, no wheelchair was added to the booking," it said in a post on X.
The airline apologized for the inconvenience and assured that they have added a wheelchair for Rath's future travel. They also offered to ensure a smooth experience for her in Delhi and Bhubaneswar.
"Further, we'd like to confirm that we have added a wheelchair for today's travel & we will ensure a smooth experience for Ms Rath in Delhi as well as in Bhubaneshwar. Please feel free to DM us for any further assistance," it added.
This comes days after Parul Kanwar said that her 82-year-old grandmother was injured at Delhi Airport after Air India allegedly failed to provide a pre-booked wheelchair, causing her to walk before collapsing.
In a post on X, Parul Kanwar accused the airline of "negligence, and explained how her grandmother, the widow of a decorated lieutenant general, faced hardships even after booking a wheelchair in advance.
"For our travel back from Delhi to Bangalore on 4th March 2025, we booked a wheelchair for my 82-year-old grandmother well in advance--confirmed by the airline. Upon reaching the airport, she was not allocated one," Parul wrote on X.
"With no other option, this old lady slowly made her way across 3 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, she added.
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