Motorable wheelchairs to make travel easier at India’s largest airport

• Motorable wheelchairs will be available at the IGI airport for passengers with reduced mobility, especially those suffering from PRM.
  
• Seven wheelchairs have already been put to use at the airport so that they can be tried out by the passengers.
  
• IGI will also use a software that helps locate these passengers’ whereabouts within the airport until they board the flight.
  

The Delhi Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, the largest airport in India, will soon make travel easier for passengers with reduced mobility, especially those suffering from PRM (Polymyalgia rheumatica) which is a disorder of the muscles and joints characterised by pain and stiffness. And this ‘aid’ will be accomplished by implementing the service of motorable wheelchairs.

The project is likely to roll out from mid-August and will be implemented across all three terminals of the airport.

For trial purposes, seven motorable wheelchairs have already been put to use and the officials say that the feedback has been positive so far. The capacity of one wheelchair is 250kg. It can accommodate a passenger and his/her check-in baggage and needs to be pushed around by a wheelchair assistant.

While most of these are manual, some wheelchairs are also automated. However, the number of automated or manual wheelchairs will depend upon the market demand for them.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) have appointed M/S Aviaxpert Aviation Pvt Ltd as a concessionary to provide wheelchair services at the airport which will procure the wheelchairs from a European manufacturer. The firm is expected to increase the number of chairs depending upon the requirements of each airline.

The services are managed with the help of vital software that helps locate passengers’ whereabouts within the airport until they board the flight.