Airline commits to disability sensitisation campaign
FlyNamibia has committed to organising a stakeholder conference to address the issue of disability awareness in the airline industry in Namibia.This decision comes after an unfortunate incident involving Ms Elizabeth Angondji, a physically disabled passenger who was denied boarding due to non-compliance with FlyNamibia's Conditions of Carriage.
On 11 March 2023, a reservation was made for Ms Angondji for a flight departing to Ondangwa the next morning. However, due to the non-compliance with FlyNamibia's Conditions of Carriage when the reservation was made, Ms Angondji was denied boarding on the morning of 12 March 2023.
Passengers in need of special assistance are, according to national aviation safety protocols and the airline’s Conditions of Carriage, required to notify the airline of special requirements 72 hours before their flight so that the airline may make the necessary preparations, which was unfortunately not possible in this case.
The incident caused distress to Ms Angondji and her mother and led to a public outcry against the discriminatory treatment of persons with disabilities.
In response, FlyNamibia's managing director, Andre Compion, was invited by the Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs to attend a meeting on 15 March 2023, with various interested parties to discuss the incident. It became clear during the discussions that there is a lack of understanding of the specific needs and requirements of disabled passengers, and more needs to be done to educate and sensitise all involved in the travel experience.
FlyNamibia is committed to playing its role in ensuring that no person experiences any form of discrimination when dealing with the airline industry in Namibia. As a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Namibia is bound to comply with the Convention's requirements.
Furthermore, the issue of disability as a human rights agenda must be addressed to ensure equal treatment of all citizens as required by the Namibian Constitution.
The stakeholder conference will involve all role-players in the airline industry in Namibia, including the office of the Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs and all interested parties.
FlyNamibia is committed to preventing a repetition of a similar occurrence and wishes to once again express its sincere remorse for the unfortunate events involving Ms Angondji.