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Hong Kong Airlines staff refused to allow wheelchair user on flight because she was alone and couldn’t walk
- Shen Chengqing, 22, booked flight to Tianjin and told airline she used a wheelchair
- Lawmaker says carrier’s online instructions not clear compared with other airlines
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Airline staff refused to let a wheelchair user board a flight at Hong Kong International Airport because she was travelling alone, sparking calls from a lawmaker for the carrier to make its instructions clearer.
Shen Chengqing, 22, was supposed to take a Hong Kong Airlines flight to Tianjin in northeastern China at 8.40pm on Friday.
However, after she arrived at the airport for the 3½-hour flight, Shen said airline staff refused to check her in as she could not walk and did not have a travel companion.
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“I felt very anxious and angry at the time. I don’t understand why this could happen in Hong Kong,” Shen said.
In an audio recording Shen sent to the Post, an employee of the city’s third-largest airline can be heard saying Shen had to be offloaded as she was unable to walk.
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“Because of this reason, we refused to let her board the plane alone,” the female employee told Shen’s friend, who was with her at the airport.
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