IndiGo issues apology after para-athlete alleges mistreatment by crew
She accused that despite her request to provide a personal wheelchair at the aircraft door, the staff did not respond
Representative Image (Reuters)
NEW DELHI: IndiGo Airlines on Saturday issued an apology after para-athlete Suvarna Raj accused the airline crew of 'mistreatment' during a flight. The airlines reaffirmed their commitment to inclusivity and pledged to address the matter swiftly and transparently.
"We reaffirm our commitment to being an inclusive airline and are dedicated to addressing this matter promptly. We are in touch with Suvarna Raj and conducting a thorough investigation into the matter," the airlines said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of customer experience and apologise for the inconvenience caused to Suvarna Raj," it added.
Suvarna, who has represented the country in global events, alleged that she was mistreated by IndiGo crew members while taking a flight from New Delhi to Chennai.
She accused that despite her request to provide a personal wheelchair at the aircraft door, the staff did not respond.
Suvarna had booked seat number 39D(Aisle) on the Chennai-bound flight on Friday. "The airlines have been courting infamy with such incidents time and time again.
Whenever I board a flight, I make it a point to request the crew members for a personal wheelchair at the aircraft door.
I did it a thousand times before," the para-athlete said while speaking to ANI on Saturday. "However, on numerous occasions, I did not get a wheelchair at the aircraft door. Why? Whenever I asked for my wheelchair at the aircraft door, the crew would say, 'Yes ma'am'. However, there was no wheelchair except the one in the cabin," she added.
She further claimed that the personal wheelchair, which cost Rs 3 lakh, was damaged by the airline crew.
"My wheelchair was damaged. It cost me Rs 3 lakh. Indigo should pay for the damage to my wheelchair and I want it to be restored to its old state. If the airlines have a policy to provide wheelchairs to differently-abled patients, why did they break protocol time and again? The government should take strict action and check why such incidents are happening so often," Suvarna said.
Suvarna won two medals in the 2014 Asian Para Games in Korea while also clinching two medals at the Thailand Para Table Tennis Open in 2013.