Mumbai, 21 April

The Bombay High Court on Monday expressed concern over lack of proper facilities, including wheelchairs, at airports in the country for senior citizens and specially-abled persons, and said preventive measures are required as it is a matter of human lives.

Facilities like wheelchairs should be available on time so that the agony of travellers can be prevented, a division bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Advait Sethna said.

All the facilities should be provided by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline companies suo motu (on its own), and it should be ensured that India leads by example, the court said.

"We are concerned about human lives. Nobody should suffer. What is required is sensitivity from the airport management authority and all airlines. We have to be very sensitive to these issues. We want the highest international standards to be implemented in India by all airlines," the court said.

The bench was hearing two petitions -- one by a senior citizen and her daughter and another by a 53-year-old man -- raising the issue of non-availability of wheelchairs and other facilities at the Mumbai international airport.

The mother-daughter duo in their plea said the 81-year-old woman had to give up her wheelchair for her daughter, who was suffering from acute arthritis, after they were given only one mobility aid on landing in Mumbai in September 2023.

The DGCA in an affidavit submitted to the bench on Monday said there was a shortage of wheelchairs at the airport due to several factors, including over-booking.

The court, however, said it cannot accept such an excuse.

Preventive measures have to be taken, the HC said, adding a person may go to the airport hale and hearty but may suddenly take ill and require assistance.

"What happens then? These are human issues. Facilities should be available before time. This is an airport where sometimes flights get delayed for hours. For a normal person, such delays may not matter, but for senior citizens or those who are specially-abled, such delays bring in a lot of agony and trauma," Justice Kulkarni said.

The issue pertains to thousands of passengers who face this problem everyday throughout the country, the HC said.

The court suggested the DGCA to impose heavy penalties on airline companies for negligence.

"When a passenger dies inside an aircraft or faces any other issue, then it amounts to neglect on part of the airlines. This is basic human rights," it said.

In foreign countries, children, senior citizens and specially-abled persons are considered above basic rights and are given the highest respect, the high court noted.

"This is not happening in our country unfortunately," the bench said.

All these facilities should be provided by the DGCA and airline companies suo motu (on its own), and it should be ensured that India leads by example, the court said.

The bench said it proposes to form a committee of experts to look into the issues, hold a meeting with all the stakeholders and submit a report which would then be considered by the DGCA for guidelines.

The court posted the matter for orders on Tuesday.