[nfb-talk] Airlines Discriminates Against The Blind:

[Kenneth Chrane]

Blind man barred from Dubai flight over disability
Blind American traveler barred from Dubai flight over disability; 
FlyDubai airline apologizes


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Blind American man Zuhair Mahmoud who was rejected from his flight, in 
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. He says he was 
stopped from getting on a flight in Dubai on Tuesday because of his 
disability - a decision the government-run airline insists was a 
mistake which it regrets. Mahmoud, of Arlington, Virginia, told The 
Associated Press he ran into problems when he went to check in for a 
10:10 a.m. flight on FlyDubai to Amman. He was planning a brief stay in 
the Jordanian capital before heading back to the United States.(AP 
Photo/Farhad Berahman)
Adam Schreck, Associated Press Writer, On Tuesday October 5, 2010, 3:38 pm EDT
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A blind American traveler says he 
was stopped from getting on a flight in Dubai on Tuesday because of his 
disability -- a decision the government-run airline insists was a 
mistake it regrets.

Zuhair Mahmoud, of Arlington, Virginia, told The Associated Press he 
ran into problems when he went to check in for a 10:10 a.m. flight on 
FlyDubai to Amman, Jordan. He was planning a brief stay in the 
Jordanian capital before heading back to the United States.

"They looked at me and said: 'Well, we can't take you. ... You're 
traveling alone,'" he recalled.

Mahmoud protested and asked employees to check with their superiors. He 
said he was told that there was nothing they could do because it was 
airline policy not to allow a blind traveler onboard unaccompanied.

"I was mad. ... I couldn't believe it," the 37-year-old information 
technology specialist said. "I tried to reason with them, but I just 
got a single cold answer."

He left the airport and went to stay at a brother's house in Dubai 
until he could catch another flight out.

The airline doesn't dispute Mahmoud's account.

Its chief executive apologized for the incident and said the carrier 
does not discriminate against blind passengers or others with special 
needs. FlyDubai also promised to rebook Mahmoud on another flight 
that's convenient for him and offered him a voucher for a free flight 
to make up for the mishap.

"This morning's events were extremely unfortunate and should not have 
happened. We will conduct a full investigation to find out what went 
wrong in this situation and take all means necessary to ensure it does 
not happen again," FlyDubai CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith said in an e-mail to the AP.

The discount carrier has grown quickly since it was launched by the 
Gulf city-state's government in June last year. It focuses on low-cost 
short-haul flights throughout the Middle East.

Al-Ghaith is a former executive at Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates. 
The two carriers operate as separate airlines, though both are owned by 
the emirate of Dubai and are chaired by an uncle of the sheikdom's ruler.

Mahmoud said he is keeping his options open, including possible legal action.

He wants the airline and UAE government regulators to take steps to 
ensure the same thing doesn't happen to others.

"I'm probably not going to come back to Dubai ever unless I'm assured 
these sorts of things aren't going to happen anymore," he said. "The 
real test is how it's handled and how it's reacted to. Mistakes happen 
all the time. It's how you deal with them that defines who you are."
Kenneth Chrane

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