Mum posts open letter to AirAsia after daughter is removed from flight from Singapore to Kuching

SINGAPORE: What should have been a routine flight on AirAsia from Singapore to Kuching for one mother became anything but that after her daughter, who has cerebral palsy, was disallowed from flying despite already having been cleared during check-in procedures.

The pilot had decided to deny the use of the young girl’s seat and asked for the whole family, which consisted of Syarifah Ella Wan Wahab, her husband, their three children, and their helper, to disembark.

While the offloading itself was a significant inconvenience to Mdm Syarifah and her family, what appears to have really bothered her was how it was handled, in that no clear explanation was given to them.

The incident occurred on May 26. The family was already seated in the front row of their AirAsia flight, having gone through check-in, immigration clearance, and boarding procedures. 

Everyone else was already on board when the family was told that the pilot in command had made a decision regarding the young girl’s FAA-approved special aircraft/car seat.

“What made the situation even more confusing was that the seat had already been declared during check-in at Changi Airport. The ground staff were fully aware of my daughter’s condition (quadriplegic cerebral palsy, bahasa mudah: lumpuh) and had specifically asked us about her age, weight, the seat’s weight, and her medical condition,” wrote Mdm Syarifah, adding that her daughter’s special seat had been discussed by the staff, but they eventually approved it.

She further explained that her daughter attends a school for children with the same condition and has flown both locally and internationally using the same seat, even on AirAsia flights.

Not only is the child medically fit to fly, but she was also accompanied by her parents, both of whom are healthcare professionals.

While underlining that she respects that the pilot has the final say, Mdm Syarifah wrote that when they asked for the reason for their offloading, they were only told, “It is our policy.”

“A simple conversation, some discretion, or even basic communication regarding what specific safety concern had arisen could have made a huge difference. Instead, without any real discussion or attempt at finding a middle ground, our family (including our other two young children aged 1 year 6 months and 4 months old) was publicly offloaded after boarding. It was emotionally distressing, humiliating, and heartbreaking for our family, especially for Zara,” she wrote.

After being removed from the flight, the family was told they might be able to take a later flight, but only if the next pilot agreed to accommodate their daughter. Unwilling to face further uncertainty, they declined.

The mum has since requested that AirAsia provide a formal explanation of the reasons behind the offloading, its accommodations for passengers with disabilities or special needs, and better communications training for its staff, adding that her desire is to improve treatment of families with special-needs children. Children with disabilities deserve equal opportunities to travel with dignity while maintaining safety standards and calls for clearer, more inclusive policies, she wrote.

In her posts after the incident, Mdm Syarifah said their refund has been processed, but “while AirAsia has reached out to us, they specifically requested a five-working-day period to review the matter and provide a formal explanation. As such, we are still awaiting their official response.” 

The airline told CNA on June 3 that it is reviewing its policies and procedures in light of the incident. /TISG

Read also: Commenters say that passengers who brawled on AirAsia X light from KL to China should get a lifetime ban