DELHI- Comedian Vir Das recently called out Air India (AI) on social media after the airline failed to provide a pre-arranged wheelchair for his wife, who is recovering from a foot fracture.
The incident occurred during their flight, Air India AI816 from Mumbai (BOM) to Delhi (DEL), where multiple service failures left Das handling the situation himself.
Air India Service Complaint
Das paid ₹50,000 per business-class ticket for himself and his wife on flight AI816. Despite the premium fare, they encountered numerous equipment problems during the journey.
Their seats had broken tray tables and malfunctioning legrests, and his wife’s seat remained stuck in a reclined position throughout the flight.
Before traveling, the couple booked Pranaam meet-and-greet services and specifically arranged wheelchair assistance, knowing his wife had limited mobility due to her foot fracture. After a delayed landing in Delhi (DEL), they learned they would need to exit the aircraft via stairs, but the wheelchair service was nowhere to be found.
When Das asked flight attendants for assistance while he managed their luggage, he received only confused looks and no help. The situation worsened when the ground staff ignored his requests for support.
Staff Indifference
At the top of the aircraft stairs, Das again asked an Air India (AI) ground employee for help. The staff member simply shrugged and walked away, leaving Das’s wife to carefully navigate down the steps with her injured foot.
When Das later expressed his concern to another staff member, he received a dismissive response: “Sir kya karein… sorry” (What can we do, sir? Sorry).
Inside the terminal, Das discovered that Encalm, the airport services provider responsible for wheelchair arrangements, seemed unaware of their booking. Seeing unused wheelchairs nearby, Das took one himself and transported his wife through the terminal and to the parking lot.
“No staff were available since the flight was delayed. I grabbed a wheelchair and took her to the luggage area and out of the terminal myself.”
Vir Das, Comedian
Air India Response
The Emmy-winning performer emphasized that he has always been loyal to Air India (AI) and believes they have “the nicest cabin crew in the sky.” However, the poor service experience compelled him to share his story publicly.
Air India (AI) responded to Das’s social media post with an apology and requested details about the flight.
Air India Spokesperson told Aviation A2Z,
We have noted with concern a social media post by Mr Das about wheelchair not being provided to his co-passenger while travelling from Mumbai to Delhi on AI816 on 14 April 2025. We empathize with the guests, especially given the mobility concern involved, and recognize that this experience fell short of expectations. The operating cabin crew offered to assist the guest, including deplaning by using the ‘ambulift’ assigned to the aircraft as per SOP, but the delay—not denial—in providing wheelchair assistance was due to unusually high demand for wheelchairs and staff at that time. Air India remains committed to improving the end-to-end travel experience for all its guests
Air India Spokesperson
The incident involving Vir Das and Air India (AI) reveals significant service gaps in the airline’s premium offerings and accessibility accommodations.
Air India (AI) failed to deliver basic service standards through multiple breakpoints: malfunctioning seat equipment, lack of staff coordination between flight crew and ground personnel, and complete abandonment of responsibility for a passenger with mobility limitations.
Das’s experience suggests deeper operational and training issues within the airline that likely might affect many more passengers.
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