Woman without legs banned from boarding China plane as airline forbids people in wheelchairs with no companion from travel, triggering public outrage
- Woman had formal permission from airline to board with her wheelchair
- Ground crew refuse to let her get on plane without a travel companion
An airline in China banned a woman with no legs in a wheelchair from boarding a flight, even though she notified them that she would need a wheelchair 48 hours in advance.
The woman, surnamed Zhang, from Hubei province in central China, was angry and confused when ground staff from China Southern Airlines stopped her from boarding.
The staff told Zhang she needed a travel companion because they could not provide a wheelchair service for her.
Zhang produced paperwork clearly showing she had complied with the airline’s policy and showed proof that she frequently travelled alone.
However, the airline said she still needed to travel with a companion.
Before boarding, Zhang had called the airline and received approval that she could board the flight without a companion.