Mumbai: Airline told to pay Rs 5 lakh to disabled boy for ordeal

A picture captured by a fellow passenger while the incident was unfolding two years ago

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on an airline that denied boarding to a differently abled minor two years ago. This ruling marks the end of a two-year battle fought by the boy and his family.

The incident occurred on May 7, 2022, when the minor was scheduled to fly with his family. Despite having all the necessary documentation and arriving at the airport well in advance, the family was shocked when the airline staff refused to allow the minor to board the flight. The reason cited according to the airline was the safety of other passengers.

Disability rights activists say airline staff must be better trained to deal with people with disabilities. Representation Pic

The minor recounted the ordeal with a sense of distress. "It was humiliating and terrifying," he said. "I felt helpless and isolated as if my disability made me less deserving of basic rights. The fellow passengers were accommodating but the ground staff was not at all agreeing with any of them as well."

The minor said that a Facebook post of a fellow passenger, Manisha Gupta, stated, "The airline manager kept shouting and telling everyone that ‘the child is uncontrollable'. To this, we protested, saying, ‘The only person who is in panic is you', welcoming the minor on board and consenting that we would travel with the minor. The airline manager still kept shouting the same."

The minor said, "Fellow passengers also protested against the airline manager present at the airport pulling up their phones and showing news articles and Supreme Court judgments to the on-ground manager but to no avail." "That day, I felt very humiliated as my basic rights were violated by the airline staff. But there was also a sigh of relief as my fellow passengers were so supportive. Tears still come to my eyes when I recount the incident. I am still traumatised and have nightmares about it."

He added, "A group of doctors travelling on the same flight offered to provide full support to me and my parents if any health episode were to occur mid-air. But the manager did not agree to anything." The family was provided hotel accommodation by the airline and flew to its destination the following day.

"I have finally won the battle after two long years and can hope that no other person is treated the way I was back then. It is very terrifying for us when such things happen. We are not disabled by choice and even we deserve to be treated as any other human being," the boy said.

Airline's statement

The airline in a statement back then said, "In view of the safety of passengers, a specially-abled child could not board the flight with his family on May 7, as he was in a state of panic. The ground staff waited for him to calm down till the last minute but to no avail."

Activist speak

Nilesh Singhit, a disability rights activist, said, "There are rooms designated for such situations. They are called ‘quiet rooms'. Unfortunately, many airports across India lack them. In some sorts of disabilities, passengers easily get agitated with the presence of so many people or noises. In such cases, the passenger is taken to a quiet room to calm them down so that they can continue with their journey."

He added, "Airport staff lack the training required for handling individuals with disabilities. Training is time-consuming and costly but there are ways to work around it. Video can be recorded and shown to employees. There is no point in just training the employees. One must also check on how much the employee has grasped the concepts so that such mistakes do not keep happening. They should be tested before being allowed to deal with passengers."