Airline RESPONDS to Lisa Ray's 'no empathy' allegation, urges media to avoid tarnishing its reputation without verifying facts

A reputed airline dismissed actor Lisa Ray's allegations of lacking empathy for her unwell father, calling them "unfounded." Lisa Ray claimed that Air India refused to accept a medical waiver, forcing her to cancel her 92-year-old father's scheduled travel due to his declining health.
She alleged the airline denied the waiver despite submitting documents from the attending doctor.
"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?" the actor said in a post on X.
The airline initially responded to Lisa Ray’s post but later issued a detailed statement clarifying the situation.

"While fully empathising 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," Airline said.
"The passenger had purchased the ticket from a travel agent and had first reached out to the travel agent, and not to Air India. 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 utilise the tickets for future travel. She declined the offer and requested for a full refund of her ticket, instead," the airline said.
The airline urged the media to avoid damaging its reputation without verified facts. The airline emphasized that it serves millions of passengers, stating that such misleading reports undermine its commitment to customer-centric service and empathy.
Lisa Ray, who has openly shared her health struggles, including her 2009 multiple myeloma diagnosis, is a strong advocate for patient rights and healthcare awareness. Her 2019 memoir Close To The Bone details her journey with the rare bone marrow cancer, including a relapse after three years of remission.
Lisa Ray started her career as a model in the early '90s before debuting as an actress in the 2001 film Kasoor. Most recently, she appeared in the second season of the Prime Video series Four More Shots Please!