Ahmedabad: The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) has fined Air India Rs 50,000 and recommended Rs 5 lakh compensation to a wheelchair user who was deboarded from a Delhi-Bhuj flight for want of a fit-to-fly certificate, despite producing documentary proof of her disability.
Maheshwari had sought Rs 50 lakh for alleged discrimination, trauma and disruption to her academic plans. She had separately sought about Rs 30,000 for wheelchair repairs and Rs 5,000 for emergency road travel between Ahmedabad and Bhuj. The CCPD recommended Rs 5 lakh, covering mental agony, humiliation, distress, inconvenience and consequential financial hardship, including wheelchair repair and travel expenses. It also directed Air India to conduct an internal inquiry, train staff on disability rights and handling assistive devices, and submit an action taken report within 60 days.
Because of her disability, air India argued before CCPD that it had not denied carriage. The airline confirmed that no Air India medical officer examined her during the layover and could not provide details of the doctor who later issued her fit-to-fly certificate.
She was subsequently deboarded, she said. The airline said crew members observed that Maheshwari appeared extremely tired and had cough and cold symptoms, raising safety concerns. Air India also said she was accommodated on its next available flight without an additional fare and that it was willing to repair or compensate her for the damaged wheelchair. The DGCA told the commissioner that airlines cannot refuse carriage on the basis of disability or reduced mobility.
After she occupied seat 22C, cabin crew questioned her ability to travel independently and sought a fit-to-fly certificate. Maheshwari also alleged that her powered wheelchair was damaged and that she had to make alternative travel arrangements at her own expense. It added that such circumstances could warrant medical clearance. The CCPD, however, found that Air India had not established that Maheshwari underwent a medical assessment before being deboarded. If an airline believes a passenger’s health could deteriorate during a flight, the passenger must be examined in person by a doctor, who must record the condition and fitness to fly. Any refusal of carriage must also be communicated in writing with reasons. The CCPD found that neither requirement was followed. The order also held that a wheelchair is an essential mobility aid and its damage cannot be treated as ordinary baggage loss.
Falguni Maheshwari, who has 80% locomotor disability and uses a wheelchair, told the CCPD that she had travelled from Frankfurt to Delhi on May 26 without medical objection before boarding the connecting Air India flight to Bhuj. The commissioner cited the Supreme Court’s 2016 Jeeja Ghosh judgment on the dignity and treatment of passengers with disabilities before disposing of the case. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad Stay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news.
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