Low-cost airline Scoot based out of Singapore is receiving severe flak for refusing to fly an Indian-origin couple with a differently-abled child-citing safety reasons.
Divya George in a Facebook post alleged that the airline refused her to hold her five-year-old daughter with special needs during take-off and did not even permit the use of infant seatbelt.
The child, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, weighs only eight kgs and hence, cannot sit alone in her seat due to the possibility of slipping out of the seatbelt and hurting herself.
George further alleges that despite informing the staff about her child's condition, the crew of the aircraft insisted that she sit in her seat or the family must deplane.
The parents of the differently-abled child allege that the captain of the flight spoke to them an hour into the altercation -- only to reiterate that they deboard if the child does not sit in her seat.
The captain even said that if the child did fall off from her own seat, the airline would take responsibility for it.
"It turned out to be an 90-minute ordeal with the whole flight being held up and us being told that our baggage was going to be offloaded, and so would we," Divya said in the Facebook post.
The flight that was scheduled to take off at 7.35am was delayed by an hour because of this incident.
"I am heartbroken to be told that some captain will not fly my daughter as she cannot sit on her own seat for no fault of hers," George narrated the ordeal in the Facebook post.
Scoot Airlines, however, today put out a statement saying that the child had to be strapped to her own seat with the aircraft seatbelt for take-off and landing in accordance with established cabin safety procedures.
The low-cost airline added that it has made a one-time arrangement to provide a certified booster seat for the child to ensure that her return journey be more comfortable while still adhering to cabin safety procedures.
"We have reached out to the guest to explain the arrangements that have been made," the airlines clarified.
Share This Post
