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3 Goa Airport staff suspended for ‘bullying’ wheelchair-bound UK woman for tips
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) Goa has also confiscated the entry permit of two trolley retrievers and said it strongly condemns such unlawful Acts
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) Goa on Wednesday suspended a staffer and confiscated the entry permit of two trolley retrievers who were found to have bullied a wheelchair-bound UK tourist into coughing up ₹4,000 in tips at the Dabolim airport.
“Upon Investigation it has been found that 01 staff Loader of Ground Handling Agency was assisting the PRM (Person of Reduced Mobility) passenger and 02 Persons of trolley retrieving agency were found interacting with said passenger against the norms. AAI Goa strongly condemns such unlawful Acts,” Goa Airport (Dabolim) director SVT Dhanamjaya Rao said in a statement.
“The Ground Handling Agency has suspended the staff who was assisting PRM Passenger. Also, the Airport Entry Permit (AEP) of 02 Trolley Retrievers were confiscated by AAI Goa and informed the Agency for further action,” he added.
A 62-year-old British tourist was bullied into giving ‘tips’ to the tune of ₹4,000 by the staff at Goa’s Dabolim airport for ferrying her on a pre-booked wheelchair, alleged a complaint filed with the Goa police by her friend Mikhil Vasant
The incident happened when the woman entered the Dabolim airport on January 29 for travelling to London’s Gatwick Airport via a chartered TUI Airways flight, said the complaint.
“After entering the airport, where she was: vulnerable, by herself and in the care of two airport staff; the ‘special assistants’ stopped Katherine Wolfe and bullied her into giving ‘tips’. The two men that were supposed to be assisting Katherine stopped her in a random space in the airport, where she was helplessly surrounded by both of the men towering over her, angrily telling her, ‘if you do not pay us, then we will just leave you here’,” the complaint stated.
