SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA
Ahmedabad: An 11-year-old boy with a hole in his heart was reportedly prohibited by Air India from boarding his flight to the US for a June 2 appointment with a specialist ahead of surgery scheduled for June 6.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening, as patient Jasraj Singh Saini, accompanied by at least 20 family members and friends who had come to see him off, arrived at the Ahmedabad airport to board the AI-191 flight to Newark. Jasraj's family has alleged that AI's refusal to let him board came despite a telephonic confirmation of the booking. "Two days before the date of the flight, airline officials called and confirmed our boarding. But when we went to the airport on Tuesday, we were asked to come the next day," said Harminder, Jasraj's cousin. The June 2 appointment, the family added, will now have to be rescheduled.
AI said it could not allow Saini on the flight as he had been prescribed oxygen on-board, as had a 75-year-old passenger who had checked in before Saini, and they could not have arranged oxygen for both of them. Saini eventually took the same flight on Wednesday. A senior Air India official told TOI, "It was not possible to provide oxygen to two passengers on a 17-hour flight, and also carry so many oxygen cylinders."
"Since the elderly passenger's booking came in earlier, we asked the Sainis to postpone their departure," the official added, claiming that the family had been asked to choose a different flight in advance.
"We had told the family in advance and asked them to choose any other preferable date for departure. Also, we cannot allow two serious patients on one flight. We had given them option of flying on any other day of their choice."
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