Dubai: Air India Express passengers who require wheelchairs are crying foul after being levied a hefty charge for the service.
The family of Indian national Talat Khan who recently flew to Lucknow from Dubai said they were shocked when they were asked to pay over Dh300 to have Khan wheeled into the aircraft.
“My mother is 70 and has had both her knees operated. She genuinely needed a wheelchair. Since it was too expensive, she decided to walk. But she had to take the help of other passengers while disembarking the bus and making her way up to the aircraft,” said Khan’s daughter.
She said the ticket to Lucknow cost Dh520. “To pay another Dh300 for a wheelchair is ridiculous – that’s more than 57 per cent of the ticket cost,” she said.
The daughter of another passenger going to Amritsar from Dubai in February said she paid the hefty amount against her will.
“My father walks with support and had a very difficult time when he flew in. He did not get a wheelchair and it took him two hours to come out of the airport. We did not want to take a chance when he flew back but had to pay heavily for a wheelchair up to the aircraft,” said the woman.
Responding to XPRESS queries, Rajneesh Bagga, Air India’s Regional Manager, Gulf, Middle East and Africa, said: “Air India does not charge its passengers any fee for using wheelchair or ambulift services wherever Air India is handling its own flights.”
He said in the UAE, “the third party handling Air India flights” charges for some services. In Abu Dhabi, a sum of Dh535 is charged for a wheelchair up to the seat, ie. for using ambulift or high loader services. The wheelchair up to the step ladder costs Dh200.
In Dubai Airports he said a Dh311 fee was levied for ambulift services till July 31 but there is no charge since August 1. The cost for a wheelchair is Dh135 since August 1, down from Dh163.
The rates in Sharjah Airport are Dh100 per wheelchair and Dh300 for ambulift services, he added.
Bagga said: “Air India handles 800-1,000 wheelchair passengers and 80-100 ambulift cases in a month.”
A dnata spokesperson told XPRESS: “dnata is contracted to provide special handling services to 140-plus airlines operating into and out of Dubai International Airport, across all three terminals. Airlines in turn offer this service to their passengers. Some carriers levy charges for special handling, but dnata does not accept payment from passengers for this service.”
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