This is the second time that he has been stopped from boarding an Air India flight. (Representational)
A disabled man has accused an Air India pilot of "humiliating" him and denying boarding on a flight from Bengaluru to Kolkata. Kaushik Kumar Majumdar, who works at the Indian Statistical Institute, was stopped by the pilot of the AI-748 Bengaluru-Kolkata flight that was to take off for Kolkata at 2:40 am.
Mr Majumdar says he was asked by the pilot to disconnect the batteries of his electric wheelchair even as he tried to explain why it was impossible for him to do that. He alleges that he was humiliated and denied boarding while other passengers were allowed to board the plane.
"I was stopped by the pilot of Air India from boarding. They asked me to disconnect the battery of my wheelchair and only then board the flight, and after putting me through the ordeal for over an hour I was finally not allowed to take the flight," he said.
Mr Majumdar, a professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru, says he has been taking Air India flights since 2009 and has travelled at least 25 times. This time, he had a scheduled appointment with his doctor and an important meeting at the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata which he has missed because of the "inhumane behaviour" of the pilot, he said.
"I feel humiliated. Everyone was allowed and I was not allowed to board. I was made to wait indefinitely. I wasn't getting a response from the Air India staff. They repeatedly asked me the same question. The last I travelled was on November 8. 2021 from Kolkata to Bengaluru. I have always faced such issues issue only at the Bengaluru Airport," he added.
This is for the second time that Mr Majumdar has been stopped from boarding an Air India flight.
"Mr Suresh Kumar, one of the employees, explained to pilot Mr Sandeep Marwaha that I have been travelling by Air India flights for the longest time. However, I was repeatedly asked about the number of batteries in my wheelchair. He was very aggressive and not willing to even understand my condition," the passenger said.
On being asked why the passenger chose only Air India and not other airlines, he said, "I was obliged to do that before Air India was privatised. Otherwise, my office wouldn't reimburse. Now, we are free to take any airline. The reason why I take Air India is that they have an Ambu Lift free of cost. On other flights, they charge for the ambu lift. Interpretation of the rule is the problem. Some employees allow passengers who use wheelchairs, while some others don't. This is ridiculous," he said.
In December 2017, Mr Majumdar alleged that he was harassed by the ground staff of Air India and was not allowed to board his flight to Kolkata.