Mumbai man accuses IndiGo of humiliating blind mother, calls out staff apathy

India Today

19 hours ago

A Mumbai-based man accused IndiGo staff at the city's airport of humiliating his blind mother during their recent journey to Guwahati. Turab Chimthanawala shared his frustrating experience in a now-viral post on LinkedIn. The post, now widely shared across platforms, questions whether basic dignity is still something blind passengers must ask for.'Should blind passengers have to ask for basic dignity?' Chimthanawala said in his post. According to him, he had informed IndiGo in advance about his mother's condition and requested assistance. But when they reached the airport, things reportedly went downhill.advertisement
'Instead of a trained staffer, an untrained one showed up, unsure of how to even navigate entry gates. My mother had to guide him to the boarding area,' he said.The issues didn't end there. At the boarding gate, Chimthanawala claimed that staff mocked his request for help, gesturing and whispering in a manner he described as humiliating.One of them allegedly said help would only be provided up to the security gate and advised him to 'just follow a wheelchair passenger.''There, staff whispered, gestured, and mocked my request for help despite my mother being present. One falsely claimed assistance only goes till security,' he said. He stressed that this was not only inconsiderate but illegal under Indian law, which mandates that blind passengers be assisted till the aircraft door.advertisement'Staff continued to smirk, treating me like an inconvenience. We decided to manage on our own,' he said as he explained that it was only when he visibly struggled with his luggage that someone stepped in.Even then, the assigned staffer reportedly walked ahead without offering real support, and at one point, a gate staffer asked if he needed help, then walked off after seeing his mother.'At security, we told him we'd go alone. Later, a gate staffer asked if I needed help, and walked away on seeing my mother. Even onboard, crew saw my white cane but offered no assistance,' Chimthanawala said, adding, 'Even onboard, crew saw my white cane but offered no assistance.' Chimthanawala said this wasn't an isolated incident. He cited previous cases where he experienced similar treatment on IndiGo flights, including one where he was made to sit on a seat with no cushion.'This isn't an isolated incident. On past Indigo flights, I've experienced apathy and even mockery. Once, I was made to sit on a seat with no cushion,' he added. While he acknowledged the efforts of Prateek Sen, IndiGo's accessibility lead, he made it clear that these efforts had not translated into action on the ground. 'To be fair, Mr Prateek Sen from IndiGo is committed to accessibility. But clearly, that commitment hasn't reached the ground staff,' he said.advertisementTake a look at the post here:The airline responded to the post saying, 'Sir, we sincerely regret to hear about your experience. We would like to investigate the matter. Kindly allow us some time, and our team will contact you shortly.'Chimthanawala's post struck a chord with many, who called out the airline for failing to treat passengers with disabilities with care and respect.'The answer is absolutely not! And yet here we are. Incident after incident. Things won't change until more people start caring about this discrimination and voicing their displeasure vociferously,' a user said. Another user added, 'I stand with you. IndiGo must apologise and be penalised - dignity and support are basic rights, not favours.'As Turab Chimthanawala's experience continues to spark debate online, one thing is clear: accessibility cannot be just a policy on paper. For India's airports to be truly inclusive, dignity must come standard, not as a favour.Must Watch