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The Star – July 15, 2007: Disabled protest against AirAsia’s ‘discriminatory’ practices

Sunday July 15, 2007

Disabled protest against AirAsia’s ‘discriminatory’ practices

By PAUL CHOO

SEPANG: More than 20 disabled and wheelchair-bound members of the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) held a protest against AirAsia for its refusal to take passengers who were completely immobile.

The protesters headed by BEAT coordinator Christine Lee, and assistant coordinators V. Murugeswaran and Peter Tan, demanded that AirAsia review its policies and take reasonable steps to ensure facilities and services provided at the LCCT were non-discriminatory.

Lee said that unlike KLIA, the LCCT does not incorporate aerobridges, which allow easier access for passengers to board planes.

“Passengers are instead required to walk up a flight of boarding stairs – a daunting task when one is disabled from the waist down,” she added.

Lee said that when booking AirAsia tickets online, a separate icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”.

“If you clicked “yes”, then you won’t be able to proceed with your booking.

“That’s when I called AirAsia’s call centre, and was told that they were unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile.

“This is even stipulated in Air Asia’s terms and conditions!” she alleged.

Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall.

“One would then have to go from the check-in gate to the aircraft without the wheelchair, which is quite absurd,” she added.

Murugeswaran pointed out that AirAsia also stipulated that the carriage of persons with limited mobility was subject to whether they were able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.

“Passengers who are unable to board the stairs without any assistance would be requested to travel with a carer or companion.

“This is blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable. We want to be independent and not have to rely on other people to chaperon us when travelling,” he said, adding that nothing has been despite BEAT holding a dialogue with AirAsia on the matter more than two years ago.

During the protest, BEAT also urged Malaysia Airports Berhad to ensure all new and old airports in the country were equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.

When contacted, an AirAsia spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the matter for the moment.

BEAT’s PRESS STATEMENTS ON AIRASIA’S REFUSAL TO TAKE PASSENGERS WHO REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO BOARD AIRCRAFT

DATE : 15TH JULY, 2007, SUNDAY, 11 AM AT LCCT

PRESS STATEMENTS ON AIRASIA’S REFUSAL TO TAKE PASSENGERS WHO REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO BOARD AIRCRAFT.

We, members of Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transport Group ( BEAT), are gathered here this morning, to express our outrage and disappointment with AirAsia, for its refusal to take passengers who require special assistance to board the aircraft.

In AirAsia’s Terms and Conditions, it states :-

1. AirAsia is unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile
2. As access to our aircraft is by the boarding stairs, the carriage of persons with limited mobility is subject to whether they are able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.
3. A passenger who is able to walk up the boarding steps unaided may travel without a carer.
4. If the passenger is unable to climb the boarding stairs without any assistance, then AirAsia will request that the passenger travels with a carer.

We find AirAsia’s terms and conditions blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable !! A check with AirAsia Call Centre confirms that only those who DO NOT require special assistance to climb the boarding stairs are allowed to travel in AirAsia. These terms and conditions have denied disabled passengers and persons with limited mobility, their right to fly like everyone else !! These terms and conditions imposed by AirAsia has caused further inconvenience and hardship to them.

The freedom to fly should be applicable to EVERYONE including passengers who are immobile and persons with limited mobility who may travel unaccompanied but require assistance to go onboard the aircraft.

AirAsia, Asia’s leading and largest low fare airline, has failed to live up to its slogan “Now Everyone Can Fly”. It is obvious that “ Now Not Everyone Can Fly” and “ Now Not Everyone Is Allowed To Fly in AirAsia”.

AirAsia has failed in its responsibility and obligation to provide facilities and services without discrimination, harrassment and vilification of its passengers.

We are here to reaffirm our commitment to fight any form of discrimination against disabled persons !! Discrimination against any person on the basis of one’s physical condition is a violation of the inherent dignity and worth of the human person.

We are here to demand that AirAsia reviews its policies and takes reasonable steps to ensure that the facilities and services provided and the terms on which they are provided are non discriminatory !!

The provision of such facilities not only benefit disabled passengers but also senior citizens and international tourists who are wheelchair users and their family members who may choose Malaysia as their holiday destination. Besides this, it also further enhance the corporate image of AirAsia and tourism industry of Malaysia.

We also call on Malaysia Airports Berhad to make sure that all new and old airports be equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.

We are deeply concerned that despite assurances from relevant authorities and Ministers, disabled persons continue to face barriers and discrimination in their everyday life.

Come this 31st August, Malaysians from all walks of life will be celebrating our country’s 50th year of independence. But disabled persons here are still struggling to understand and experience the meaning of independence.

We have internationally well known mega development projects called Southern Corridors, Northern Corridors, Eastern Corridors, etc, etc, but disabled persons are still struggling to get out of their house corridors !!

We have RapidKL which has launched 1200 new buses on the roads but none of these are accessible buses. Despite our appeals, Prasarana, a 100% government owned company, continues to purchase and launch non-accessible buses ! We have newly launched taxis which cannot take wheelchair passengers due to limited booth space filled with gas tank !

We have light rail transit system called STAR Line or Ampang Line and Monorail but are completely inaccessible ! Now, we have AirAsia, which has done the nation proud by being the fastest growing and largest low fare airline in the region, refusing to take passengers who are immobile requiring assistance to go onboard !

We call upon YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as Prime Minister of Malaysia, to hear our cries and consider our pleas for full inclusion in the overall Masterplan and Masterpolicy of the country. We ask to be treated with the same dignity and respect as equal members of society and full citizens of the country.

We also urge our Prime Minister to review the proposed Disabled Persons Act and to endorse the “ UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” to protect and guarantee disabled persons the same rights as other persons and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them.

Thank you.

Christine Lee
BEAT Coordinator

V. Murugeswaran
BEAT Assistant Coordinator

Peter Tan
BEAT Assistant Coordinator

Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) comprises 18 Organisations as listed below :-

• Persatuan Damai Orang-Orang Kurang Upaya Selangor & W.P
• Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association
• Persatuan Mobiliti Selangor & Kuala Lumpur
• Persatuan Orang-Orang Cacat Anggota Malaysia
• Society of the Blind in Malaysia
• Malaysian Association for the Blind
• Society of the Chinese Disabled Persons Malaysia
• Persatuan Kristian Shuang Fu untuk orang Kurang Upaya Kuala Lumpur
• Beautiful Gate Foundation for The Disabled
• Persatuan Pemulihan Orang Cacat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan
• Selangor Cheshire Home
• Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities
• Dignity & Services
• United Voice (Self-Advocacy Society of Persons with Learning Disabilities Selangor & Kuala Lumpur)
• Selangor Council for Welfare and Social Development
• Majlis Paralimpik Malaysia
• Malaysian Council For Rehabilitation
• Lovely Home

AirAsia – Now Everyone Can Fly – Betulkah?

At LCCT-KLIA before the protest.
Photo by Wuan.

Fifty disabled persons gathered at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at KLIA today to protest against the discriminatory policy imposed by AirAsia to refuse carriage for people who cannot walk. The demonstration was organised by the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) which comprises 18 NGOs representing an estimated 10,000 disabled persons in Malaysia.

Air Asia online booking - special assistance declaration

People who need special assistance are barred from booking with AirAsia online.

Puchasers were asked to declare if they needed special assistance and if needed they were barred from booking tickets online with Air Asia and were instructed to book through the call centre. Representatives at AirAsia’s call centre would refuse to sell tickets to people who cannot walk – admitting that it was the budget airline’s company policy to refuse carriage to persons who cannot walk and climb up the stairs to the plane.

BEAT protest at LCCT against AirAsia’s discriminatory policy against disabled person.
Photo by Wuan.

Disabled persons want equal access to fly with AirAsia. We should not be denied service based on our physical conditions. The reason given was that the airline lacks manpower to assist those with reduced mobility. Instead of giving that excuse AirAsia should make arrangements to increase its staff strength for flights booked by passengers who have informed the airline of their need for mobility assistance.

BEAT protest at LCCT against AirAsia’s discriminatory policy against disabled person/
Photo by Wuan.

In the press statement issued after the protest, BEAT called on Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi to eliminate all forms of discriminatory practices such as those committed by AirAsia and to protect the rights and dignity of disabled persons in Malaysia. We have been marginalised, ignored and discriminated against for far too long. We also hope AirAsia will seriously reconsider removing the unfair conditions imposed upon disabled persons desiring to fly with it.

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