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“Delay, Not Denial”: Air India Responds After Vir Das Flags Wheelchair Woes

In a detailed post on X, Das alleged that despite paying Rs 50,000 per seat for him and his wife, they got a broken table, broken leg rests, and a seat stuck in a reclined position which would not straighten fully

“Delay, Not Denial”: Air India Responds After Vir Das Flags Wheelchair Woes
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Air India has responded after stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das publicly called out the airline over what he described as a series of service failures during a recent flight.

In a detailed post on X, Das alleged that despite paying Rs 50,000 per seat for him and his wife, they got a broken table, broken leg rests, and a seat stuck in a reclined position which would not straighten fully.

But to him, it was more just a sour in-flight experience. Das also said that his wife, who is recovering from a fractured leg, didn’t receive a wheelchair despite having pre-booked the service. "I ask the air hostesses at the front of the plane to assist my wife while I carry four bags. Silence and a clueless look at each other. We step off the plane to the top of the ladder. I ask an Air India male ground staff member to help us, looks at me, shrugs, and ignores me," Das wrote.

"My wife with a fracture makes it down the stepladder. I tell an Air India staff member at the bottom near the buses what happened. He says “sir kya Karein…sorry [Sir, what to do... sorry],”" Das recalled.

According to Das, the encalm staff informed the wheelchair team, but there was no one available due to a delayed flight. With no help in sight, he ended up pushing the wheelchair himself through the baggage claim and out to the parking area.

Responding to the post, Air India acknowledged the issue and said the delay stemmed from an unexpected surge in demand for wheelchair services at that time.

"The operating cabin crew offered to assist you, including deplaning by using the 'ambulift' assigned to the aircraft as per SOP, but the delay—not denial—in providing wheelchair assistance was due to unusually high demand for wheelchairs and staff at that time," the airline clarified.

Following the clarification, Das returned to X to appreciate the cabin crew, saying they’d still be his first choice when flying. “I’m rooting for the planes and ground arrangements to improve,” he added.

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