In a shocking incident that highlights some of the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing basic services, Elizabeth Angondji was left stranded in Windhoek after she was turned away by a local airline, FlyNamibia, due to her physical disability.

Angondji (28) booked a flight with the airline from Windhoek to Ondangwa and informed them of her disability. However, when she arrived at the airport, she was told
that she could not fly as she is unable to get on the plane by herself.

Despite explaining that she can get on the plane by herself without any issues, she was still denied boarding.

According to her, the officials at the airport said she cannot get on the flight because she “doesn’t have legs”.

“I have had the most humiliating experience,” she said in an interview with New Era. Angondji expressed her frustration and disappointment at the incident. “I came to Windhoek for a programme hosted by MTC and I fell sick and went under an operation.  MTC, therefore, booked for me a flight back home, and we did everything we could to make sure the airline was aware of my needs. Unfortunately, when I got to the airport, they turned me away stating my disability as an issue, despite the fact that I arrived at the airport very early.

Immediately after the plane took off, the officials tried putting me on a different plane to demonstrate if I am really fit to get on the plane and I did without any issues,” she said.

The wheelchair user said that the airline staff showed no empathy and treated her with disrespect. “To be turned away like this is incredibly hurtful and demoralising. I felt like I was being punished for something that was beyond my control,” she said.

After being turned away by the airline, she was left stranded at the airport with no alternative flight options.

 She described feeling embarrassed and humiliated as other passengers looked on.

The incident has sparked outrage among disability rights advocates, who are calling on airlines and other service providers to do more to accommodate people with disabilities.

“People with disabilities have the right to access the same services and opportunities as everyone else. So, this inclusivity the government has been preaching is a lie? How is this possible, are the regulations saying a person with a disability cannot fly?” questioned Eva Josephat, the organiser of Miss Ability, a beauty pageant.

In response to the incident, the airline issued a statement expressing its regret for what happened. However, they claimed that their policy required any passenger with reduced mobility to book a flight at least 72 hours in advance.

According to the airline, a travel agent booked a flight for Angondji at 22h35 on Saturday, 12 March for a flight departing early the next morning. “The carrier must have enough time to assess the level of immobility of the passenger, take a view whether such a passenger can safely be carried with the above in mind, and then brief the personnel scheduled to deal with the specific passenger on what should be done.

Due to the time that the booking was made, FlyNamibia did not accept the booking as we had no time to assess the situation and put the necessary arrangements in place. The agent should not have issued the tickets without FlyNamibia’s acceptance of the specific passenger’s needs.

Since the check-in staff were instructed beforehand to accept the passenger, they followed normal procedures and refused boarding,” reads the statement.

The statement also indicates that “the narrow aisles of our aircraft (Embraer ERJ 145) does not allow for the carriage or use of a wheelchair in the cabin.”

“A wheelchair on board our aircraft could block emergency exit routes, placing all passengers on board at risk. Passengers are therefore required to be physically able to mobilise themselves without their wheelchair, or special assistance, in the unlikely event of an emergency. Furthermore, machinery used to assist wheelchair users onto aircraft is only compatible with larger aircraft, which we, unfortunately, do not have as part of our fleet,” further explained the airline.

The airline has issued a direct and personal apology to the passenger and her mother and therefore offered her two flight tickets to and from Windhoek, whenever she travels.

- ashikololo@nepc.com.na