A patient of 11-years old with a hole in his heart was denied to board a flight by Air Indian for US on June 2. The patient was departing to the country to consult with a physician ahead of surgery scheduled for June 6.

The incident happened on Tuesday evening when the boy named Jasraj Singh Saini, accompanied by about 20 member of his family and friends who had come to see him off, arrived at the city airport to board a flight AI-191 to Newark. Jasraj’s family claimed that even though the telephonic confirmation on booking was done, AI refused the boy to board the flight. Jasraj’s cousin Harminder, while adding that the June 2 appointment now have to be rescheduled, said, “Two days before the date of the flight, airline officials called and confirmed our boarding. But when we went to the airport on Tuesday, we were asked to come the next day.”

In response, Air India said that we could not arrange oxygen on flight for him as he was prescribed for it. A 75-year old man had checked in before him and we were not able to arrange the oxygen for both of them, although Jasraj boarded the same flight on Wednesday. A senior Air India official said, “It was not possible to provide oxygen to two passengers on a 17-hour flight, and also carry so many oxygen cylinders.”

The official has added that the family had been asked to choose a different flight in advance, “Since the elderly passenger's booking came in earlier, we asked the Sainis to postpone their departure.”

“We had told the family in advance and asked them to choose any other preferable date for departure. Also, we cannot allow two serious patients on one flight. We had given them option of flying on any other day of their choice,” the senior official concluded.

By Prajakt K.