Dana Air Again! Uproar Over Exorbitant Charges For Conveying Persons On Wheelchair From Lobby To Aircraft

When it seemed the dust has settled over the controversial policies of Dana Air toward Persons on wheelchair, another ugly incident rears up its head – this time, it’s about exorbitant fee for services that easily pass for complementary and therefore ought be free.

An air passenger (names with-held) has strongly condemned the rip-off fee charged by the Nigerian airline for wheelchair service to convey disabled or elderly passengers from lobby to plane.

According to her, she just doesn’t understand why such policies should be in place despite the “exorbitant ticket fee paid”.

Dana Air seem to be the only airline with such charges, she observed. “I am yet to encounter anything like this in my flying experience.”

Narrating the incident, the passenger said: “I was boarding a flight from Owerri to Abuja on Air Peace and was already checked in. At the lounge, I met this trembling elderly man and offered him my seat. There, I overheard conversations where he was asked to pay for a wheelchair to convey him to his flight. Surprised, I immediately called the manager of Air Peace to know if charges are demanded for wheelchair conveyance and he replied in the negative.

Further enquiries revealed the elderly passenger was boarding a Dana flight.

“When we asked how much they charge for the wheelchair service, we were told it’s N4, 500. The elderly man offered N500, but the attendant declined, insisting on N4, 500. I had to save the situation by offering to pay the balance and on request, was promptly issued a receipt. Still doubtful, I made efforts to confirm the veracity of this odd charge from the manager of DANA Air and to my chagrin, he affirmed it.

Furious, the lady witnessing the scenario queried: “Who uses a wheelchair? The old, sick or disabled. How can they be collecting money for a wheelchair that is reusable? How much is a wheelchair? N20,000 plus perhaps.

“They would just use the wheelchair to take him to the airplane from the lobby. That’s all! Everybody sits back and blames President Muhammadu Buhari. How is this not a rip-off from vulnerable people?” she fumed.