This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 27, 2019, Mr. Harun Maalim Hassan, an author and Disability Rights Campaigner, was booked on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET309 from Nairobi to Addis. However, he was not allowed to board the flight due to a 'miscommunication', according to the airline.
Mr. Hassan took to social media to express his frustration, claiming that the airport staff treated him insensitively and denied him assistance because he was disabled. He alleged that they 'left him alone and without options.'
Responding to Mr. Hassan's complaints, Ethiopian Airlines initially apologized and offered to fly him Business Class, but on the condition that he deletes his tweets. Mr. Hassan declined the offer and instead opted to travel to Addis via a different airline.
However, the airline later apologized again and offered Mr. Hassan an unspecified 'offer', which he has yet to accept. In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines said, 'We've been working on the recovery and hope Mr. Hassan will accept our apologies and offer. We assure the encounter does not define our standard of service.'
Mr. Hassan's experience has sparked concerns about the treatment of disabled passengers at airports. The incident has also raised questions about the airline's handling of such situations.
