NEW DELHI: An incident that occurred recently on an American Airlines flight from Delhi to New York has once again rekindled interest in the aviation sector.
Meenakshi Sengupta, a female cancer sufferer, is said to have been removed from an American Airlines flight with a destination of New York at the Delhi Airport after asking for help from a flight attendant to keep her handbag in the overhead compartment.
A report of the occurrence was made on January 30, a Monday.
The woman complained to the flight attendant, claiming they refused to assist her in placing her purse, which weighed more than five pounds, in the overhead compartment, according to news agency ANI. She was unable to perform the task because of weak limbs, according to the report.
Sengupta, a passenger in a wheelchair, complained to the Delhi Police that the ground crew was very kind and helpful and helped her board the plane and set her handbag on the side of the seat.
Sengupta spoke with the air hostess after boarding the plane and described her health situation, but she did not offer any help in putting the handbag in the overhead compartment.
Sengupta later asked for assistance when the cabin lights were dimmed and an air hostess approached to place the handbag in the overhead bin, but the hostess refused, saying it was not their responsibility to do so.
Sengupta stated that the air hostess rudely refused her assistance and left after being “repeatedly” asked for assistance.
Sengupta claims that after that, when she considered complaining about the incident to other crew members, they were “essentially indifferent” and advised her to just get off the plane if she was uncomfortable.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is aware of the situation and has requested a report from American Airlines.
“An unruly passenger was kicked off the plane on January 30 before American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK) took off because they didn’t listen to the crew. The customer has been contacted by our customer service team to request a refund for the unused portion of their ticket, “added the airline. It was also said that an investigation was being conducted.
