There’s nothing wrong with wanting comfort while travelling, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of misusing services. Recently, a viral video on social media showed a long line of Indians seated in wheelchairs. The clip sparked a major online debate because many of them appeared to be perfectly able-bodied.
Viral Video Of Indians In Wheelchairs At Airport
Air India says 30% of passengers on India-US flights ask for wheelchairs.
Most are able bodied travelers scamming the priority boarding system.
Real disabled passengers get left short.
— Bruce (@bruce_barrett) November 15, 2025
X user Bruce Barrett shared a video showing a large number of Indian passengers on India–US flights sitting in wheelchairs. He posted it with the caption, “Air India says 30% of passengers on India–US flights ask for wheelchairs. Most are able-bodied travellers scamming the priority boarding system. Real disabled passengers get left short.”
According to him, many people requesting wheelchairs seemed perfectly fine. He claimed that some Indian travellers were using the service mainly to get priority boarding and full assistance through the airport. This claim has sparked a debate online, and even Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw joined the conversation. Sharing the video on her X account, she suggested a strict solution: charge ₹5,000 per airport for wheelchair use to see how many “genuine passengers” remain.
Also Read: Agree Or Disagree? Indians Calling Air Hostesses ‘Servants’ Sparks Online Debate
Post Sparks Debate Among Netizens
The viral post led to a huge discussion online. Social media users were split. Many said that a fee would stop people from misusing the facility, while some of them took the side of wheelchair users.
One user wrote, “In Germany, they started charging, and people stopped asking. Most of the time, it’s NRIs who invite their parents and want to make the immigration process smooth for them by skipping lines. NRIs should let their parents have the adventure and deal with the challenges that come with entering a new country.”
Another user suggested, “Simply board them last or ask for a doctor’s letter.”
One X user added, “Why should the genuine suffer because of them? The attitude of ‘if it’s free, then why not’ needs to change. But on the other hand, they should have more buggies as terminals are far, and walking may not be easy for the 30%.”
What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@bruce_barrett & Canva Pro/Photon-Photos (Representative Image)