Actress Lisa Ray calls out Air India for ‘lack of empathy’ towards her father; airline defends itself

Actor Lisa Ray recently called out Air India for allegedly refusing a medical waiver for her ailing 92-year-old father, forcing her to cancel his scheduled travel. The airline has now responded, calling the allegations "unfounded" and refuting her claims while urging the media not to misrepresent facts.

Lisa Ray’s Allegation

Lisa Ray took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her frustration over Air India's response to her father’s situation. She wrote, "Here we go again Air India. My father is 92, unwell and I have to cancel travel due to his ailing condition. Submitted doctor's letter and the waiver was denied? How is that possible? Where is the empathy from an airline that is claiming to care about passengers?"



Following her post, the airline initially responded on social media before issuing a formal statement to clarify the matter.

Air India's Response

In an official statement, Air India strongly refuted the allegations and clarified that they had extended alternative solutions to Ray, which she declined.

“While fully empathizing with the passenger, we would like to put forth the following clarifications: The claim that Air India did not display empathy for her unwell father is unfounded, as the passenger herself mentioned that she is booked to fly Air India along with two other co-passengers that does not include her father, whose medical documents she has submitted,” the airline stated.

The statement further explained that Ray had booked her ticket through a travel agent and initially reached out to them instead of the airline. “After the passenger raised the matter to Air India, the Air India team reached out to her and, as an exception, offered solutions that included a free date change or a one-year period to utilize the tickets for future travel. She declined the offer and requested a full refund of her ticket instead,” the airline added.

Airline Urges Media to Verify Facts

Air India also urged the media to refrain from spreading misinformation that could harm its reputation. “We urge the media to restrain itself from maligning the reputation of the airline without corroborating facts. Air India flies millions of passengers, and such misleading news reports belie the airline’s resolve to customer centricity and empathy.”

Lisa Ray, who has been vocal about health issues and patient rights, has openly shared her battle with multiple myeloma, a rare form of bone marrow cancer. Her 2019 memoir, Close to the Bone, details her journey, including a relapse after three years of remission.

The actor, who began her career as a model in the 1990s, has appeared in various films and was last seen in the second season of Prime Video’s Four More Shots Please!