Wings India 2026 under scrutiny over toilets, emergency response
HYDERABAD: Asia’s largest civil aviation event, Wings India 2026, which brought together top industry leaders to show new ideas and focus on sustainability, faced criticism on Thursday after big problems with public facilities and emergency help led to a troubling health incident for a visitor.
The event, jointly organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and FICCI at Begumpet Airport, is themed “Indian Aviation: Paving the Future.” However, for software professional Sumanth Reddy and many other general visitors on Day 3, the experience revealed a gap between the event’s ambitions and its execution for the public.
In a formal complaint to the organizers, Reddy described a series of problems that started with unclear and confusing signs. During a medical emergency, he was sent to the Business Visitor toilets near the hangars and Air Express area, but found them locked and not open to the public.
“This forced an excessive and frantic walk to locate general toilets,” Reddy told HyderabadMail. The situation worsened upon arrival. Due to high occupancy, only one section of three toilets was operational. The condition inside was unsanitary, with no running water or faucet, only a bucket, and a lack of basic infrastructure. The lock on the door was reportedly placed at a height of 5-7 feet, making it unreachable to secure from inside, and there were no luggage storage facilities outside.
“This direct infrastructure failure created immense stress and directly resulted in a severe health incident,” Reddy’s complaint reads. He experienced dizziness, suffered a fall, and was at risk of requiring hospitalization.
The emergency response compounded the crisis. According to Reddy, emergency medical aid was delayed by about five minutes. After this, Reddy had to be carried out of the venue in a BOV (Battery Operated Vehicle) with security staff.
The incident raises questions about how well the event was planned for visitors at such a large event, which says it focuses on safety and including everyone in its official theme. While the exhibition halls and displays showed the latest aviation technology, basic needs for thousands of visitors seemed to have been ignored, added Reddy.
In his complaint, Reddy asked the organizers to remember this feedback for their review after the event. He called for quick action to provide clean toilets, better facilities, and strong emergency plans for all future events. Wings India 2026 ended on January 31.
