Dana Air
Dana Air has reacted to an allegation of discrimination levelled against it by a passenger, Dr. Chike Okogwu.
Okogwu, a Person With Disability (PWD), had taken to his Twitter page Sunday night to accuse the airline of discriminating against persons with Disabilities.
He claimed that, after satisfying all terms and conditions, he was told by airline staff that he could not travel with a wheelchair due to a new policy.
“This is indeed the height of discrimination against persons with Disabilities in Nig. I booked a 7:20PM flight from Abj-Lag which was rescheduled to 9.05PM,” he tweeted.
“I got my boarding pass only for DanaAir to say a new policy forbids carryn (sic) us with wheelchr (sic).”
@DanaAir @hadisirika @fccpcnigeria This is indeed the height of discrimination against persons with Disabilities in Nig. I booked a 7:20PM flight from Abj-Lag which was reschdld to 9.05PM. I got my boarding pass only for DanaAir to say a new policy forbids carryn us with wheelchr pic.twitter.com/CqrB4FunoY
— Dr. Chike OKOGWU. (@chikeiq) December 20, 2020
But in a statement issued by Dana Air spokesman, Kingsley Ezenwa, on Monday, the company accused the passenger of going violent and destroying the airline’s check-in systems and other equipment.
Okogwu allegedly destroying the airline’s check-in systems and other equipment
He also allegedly attacked the Duty Manager at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The company explained that, as a matter of policy, comfort and safety of guests, it does not carry Special Passengers at night.
The airline said it offered to check the passenger in on the 7am flight the next day but he refused the offer and went violent on the Duty Manager, allegedly causing her injuries in the process.
Dana Air also accused Okogwu of having a history of verbal violence, adding that he has “enjoyed the luxury” of flying with the airline for many years.
The airline’s check-in systems and other equipment allegedly destroyed by Okogwu
The company maintained that it will never discriminate against any passenger “no matter the circumstance.”
It added that it will not tolerate any acts of violence against any of its staff, passengers or property while also urging Okogwu to be “civil in his engagements.”
“Our attention has been drawn to a violent conduct by a passenger named Dr Chike Okogwu, on our staff and booking systems at our Abuja station yesterday, the 20th of December 2020,” the statement read.
“To put the issue into proper perspective, the said passenger (a PWD Person With Disability) who we regard as Special Passengers at Dana Air, got to our counter yesterday, 20th December 2020 at about 8pm for his flight and when our Duty Manager noticed him in the midst of the upsurge of passengers, approached him and politely explained to him that as a matter of policy, comfort and safety of our guests, we do not carry Special Passengers at night while offering to check him in first, on the 7am flight the next day.
“The said passenger blatantly refused the offer and went violent on the Duty Manager causing her injuries in the process.
“This same passenger also went further to destroy our check-in systems, chairs, Covid-19 Protective glass shields and weighing machines at our counter in Abuja. (We have our video evidence).
“Dr Chike Okogwu has enjoyed the luxury of flying with us for many years even as other airlines have totally refused to even sell tickets to him as a result of his reputation of verbally attacking able-bodied staff assigned to assist him whenever he is flying.
“Apart from this reason why other airlines avoid him, Dr Chike knows that Dana Air is among the few airlines that accepts Persons with Disability with a policy which we expect them to follow strictly in their own interest and in the interest of safety.
“While we acknowledge and regret the frustrations of our guests at this time and working round the clock to resolve the undesirable issues our guests are experiencing, we wish to state without an iota of doubt that Dana Air has never, and will never as a brand; discriminate against ANY passenger no matter the circumstance.
“Dana Air will also not tolerate any acts of violence against any of her staff, passengers or property and as a law abiding corporate citizen of Nigeria, we urge Dr. Chike Okogwu to be civil in his engagements as everything we do at Dana Air will always be in the interest of safety.”
A notice on the airline’s website reads: “Special Passengers: Wheelchair (WCHR) and Visually Impaired (BLND) passengers cannot travel without an accompanied person, we are always happy to serve WCHR and BLND passengers but they cannot travel unaccompanied.”
The notice does not include any caveat that the company does not carry Special Passengers at night.