Passion Air rejected me because I can’t climb stairs – 65-year-old passenger
Saabu Kwabina, a 65-year-old man who booked his flight from Accra to Kumasi through a travel agency, Dodi Travel and Tour said he was “rejected” by passion airline due to his inability to climb the stairs into the plane.
Kwabina arrived from Holland late Thursday night, November 18, 2020 and made his way to the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 2 Friday morning hoping to check in with Passion Air scheduled to leave Accra at 12 noon. But he got there late and the boarding gate had already been closed, and together with other passengers, he had to wait for the 6pm flight after buying a different ticket on the same airline.
“When it was time to board the second flight, we were denied. I asked if their plane doesn’t carry physically challenged persons but the attendant didn’t give me any attention,” he said.
According to the nephew of the aged man, they were compelled to rent a van from Accra to Kumasi due to his uncle’s condition.
The nephew, Eric Kwasi Darkwa who accompanied him to the airport expressed disgust at the treatment received from staff of the airline over their denial. According Darkwa, his uncle could climb the stairs if staff of the airline were willing to offer support.
In a phone conversation with the sales and marketing manager of Passion Air, Samuel Razak Tachie, he said the aircraft available was small and only ‘abled persons’ could climb without assistance.
“Due to the small nature of the plane, only one person can climb the stairs at a time. In this case, if the passenger needs assistance, he or she can’t be carried especially when the passenger didn’t indicate he needed assistance when purchasing the ticket,” he explained.
He indicated that an investigation is being conducted into the grievances of the passenger for redress.
“Our manager at the airport who handled the situation will present a full report to our office for the necessary action” he said in a phone call with ghanabusinessnews.com.”
Tachie said it’s appropriate for the aggrieved customer to seek to engage management of the airline before referring the matter to the media when it ends in a deadlock.
According to a staff at Dodi Travel and Tour whose name phone caller app, True Caller revealed as Emmal Eshun, they’re yet to ascertain why the 65-year-old Kwabina was disallowed from boarding the plane. “Passion Air is yet to brief us on why they rejected the passenger,” the staff said.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved travellers say they feel discriminated against and are ready to demand explanation from managers of the airline.
Mr. Darkwa said he visited the office of the travel and tour agency but was told an amount of GH¢100 will be deducted from his airfare before refund, this he said, he won’t accept.
By Fred Duhoe