Mumbai Woman on Wheelchair Slams IndiGo For Losing Customised Cushion: 'Disabled in Truest Sense'

Flight journeys are typically seen as a means to ensure swift travel complemented by comfort. However, for Virali Modi, a disability activist, her recent experience on a Tuesday flight from Delhi to Mumbai with IndiGo was quite the opposite. Not only did the airline forget to deplane her for 40 minutes, but they also misplaced her personalised cushion, crucial for her comfort in a wheelchair. Taking to the micro-blogging site ‘X’, Modi criticised the airline for the subpar service, expressing that it made her feel “disabled in the truest sense.”

Describing the incident, she began by stating, “Indigo Airlines does NOT care about their passengers with disabilities. I’ve been paralysed from the waist down since 2006 and I use a wheelchair for mobility. I flew from Delhi to Mumbai on 5th December, 2023 on flight number 6E-864. After everyone deplaned, the cabin crew forgot that I was on the flight.” She detailed the wait of 40 minutes after everyone else had deplaned, as the cabin crew overlooked her presence. The inaccessible call button compounded the issue, making it impossible for her to alert the crew. She also mentioned her request for a wheelchair at the gate, which went unaddressed.

Also Read: Bengaluru Woman on Wheelchair Shares Difficulties in Finding an Accessible Flat, Post Goes Viral

But that was just the beginning. She further slammed the airline for failing to deliver her personal wheelchair at the baggage claim, recounting, “I had to wait another 30 minutes for my personal wheelchair because no one had bothered to bring it up from the aircraft. Moving forward, I reached my car and the helper kept removing my personal wheelchair’s cushion. I kept telling him that it was mine but he didn’t listen. When I arrived home, that’s when I realised that my cushion was nowhere to be found.”

Explaining how the cushion was specifically made for her to prevent her from getting sores or a bad back, Modi narrated a 55-minute wait without receiving an apology or resolution. She vented her feelings, stating, “First, you steal my dignity, then you steal my independence, and now you’re stealing my peace of mind. Indigo Airlines, shame on you!”

The post gained viral traction, with many expressing frustration.

Subsequently, Modi provided an update, stating, “I’m in touch with Indigo. They’re specifically making a customisable cushion according to the specifications of my wheelchair and they’ll be delivering it either tonight or tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, this incident follows Modi’s previous disappointment when she faced accessibility challenges at the registrar’s office for her marriage where she had to navigate multiple floors despite relying on a wheelchair for mobility.