83-year-old man fractures hip on Air India flight, left uncared for, alleges daughter

Mandeep, a business analyst with United Healthcare in Maryland, received her father at the airport on September 20. “He was in so much pain that he was in tears. He was walking, but nobody offered him a wheelchair or assistance, despite us paying for the service. We rushed him to the hospital, where doctors found internal bleeding and significant blood loss, delaying his surgery. Imagine he had to endure two more days of pain and trauma. He is now undergoing surgery,” Mandeep told *The Indian Express* over the phone.

“Just imagine receiving your father in such agony. What angers me most is that he wasn’t looked after on the flight. They didn’t even offer him an ice pack for his injury. This is common sense—it could have helped with the internal bleeding,” she said.

Doctors informed Mandeep that surgery was essential to save her father’s life, despite the high risks due to his age. “Without surgery, they said he wouldn’t survive more than three months,” she added.

In a social media post, Mandeep detailed the ordeal: “My father, aged 83, was travelling from India to the USA on an @airindia flight on 19 September 2024. He tragically fell and fractured his right hip bone due to a wet floor in the lavatory. Despite the injury, neither the attendants nor the staff provided assistance during the flight. Even after landing, no medical check-up was conducted. He endured the entire 11-12 hour journey in agony.

When we met him at the airport, he was in tears, and we rushed him to the hospital for treatment and surgery.”

She added, “It was heartbreaking to see him in such a state—scared, in tears, and in pain. They didn’t even provide a basic ice pack. This lack of care is deeply disappointing, especially after paying for services like a wheelchair and attendant. This will be our last journey with Air India. Is this how senior citizens are treated?”

Mandeep also expressed concern about the financial burden following the surgery. Her father, on a visitor’s visa, does not have insurance, and medical costs in the US are high. “For now, the doctors are focused on his treatment. We’ll worry about the bills later,” she said.

Mandeep, who works full-time, is unsure how her father will receive 24/7 care post-surgery. Her family in India is unable to assist as they do not have visas.

She has sought intervention from the Punjab government and the state’s NRI Affairs Minister. Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “I have not received any complaint yet, but if you provide the details, I will take the issue up with the Centre and the airline.”

An Air India spokesperson wrote to The Indian Express, “We are aware of an unfortunate incident involving an elderly guest on our flight AI103 Delhi-Washington Dulles, who tripped and fell on the floor outside the lavatory. Our crew responded promptly, paged the doctors on-board and provided the assistance deemed fit and necessary, and made the guest comfortable during the rest of the flight. The full extent of the injury could not be ascertained at the time, and the guest was deplaned on a wheelchair. We are concerned to hear that he had to undergo a surgery later. Air India is investigating the matter internally.”