IndiGo 'forgets' elderly, wheelchair-bound couple, leaves them stranded for 24hrs in Istanbul
Istanbul Airport after IndiGo allegedly failed to put them on their connecting flight to India. The couple, with the husband being wheelchair-bound, were returning to Mumbai from London. They had booked a single PNR ticket for their journey, with the London-Istanbul leg operated by Turkish Airlines and the subsequent flight to Mumbai by IndiGo.
However, things took a distressing turn when they found themselves stranded at Istanbul's terminal for a full 24 hours.
The daughter of the couple, Richa Shah in a report done by TOI, shared their ordeal, explaining, «My father, Rajesh Shah (64), and mother, Rashmi Shah (59), had a single PNR ticket for the journey on August 17, 2023. Dad is wheelchair-bound as he had (earlier) suffered multiple strokes and has undergone surgeries. My mother also cannot walk that long as is required at big airports, and we had booked wheelchairs for both of them for use at airports.
They landed in Istanbul as per schedule.»
Upon their arrival, ground staff initially assisted them in making the connection to their Mumbai-bound flight. They were given boarding passes and directed to a boarding gate. However, as hours passed, Richa's mother went to inquire about the flight status.
According to Richa, «The staff took the boarding passes from her and asked them to sit till further instructions. This kept happening repeatedly, and they were only told, 'My supervisor is on the way; you have to talk to him.'»
The Shahs' distress escalated when they were informed that the Mumbai flight had already departed. Unable to communicate effectively with the local staff, they reached out to Richa in a state of panic.
