Proving a point, disabled man flies alone with airline he sued
Osaka - A disabled man who filed an unsuccessful damages suit against Singapore Airlines over not being permitted to board an aircraft because he was traveling without assistance flew from Kansai Airport to Singapore alone Monday, using the airline.
Masayuki Ota, 38, of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, filed the suit in 2004, saying it was not fair that the firm prevented him from flying alone to Bangkok due to his disability.
Ota, a wheelchair user, suffers from cerebral palsy and has limited control of his limbs and difficulty speaking. He has been able to live alone since 1997 with assistance.
According to the Osaka High Court ruling, the airline's officials prevented him from boarding shortly before departure to Bangkok from Kansai Airport in July 2003, claiming it would be difficult to evacuate him in case of an emergency because of his disabilities.
yomiuri.co.jp
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Comments
What's next ? Suing the airlines for "constipation" cause by food serve by the airlines while on board the aircraft ! Singapore Airlines is doing Mr Ota a big favor by not boarding him because of safety concern and I certainly won't call this "Discrimination". I was on a flight on Northwest to Tokyo and the passenger was accompanied by a Registered Nurse on the flight and he was not disabled - just need regular check on his blood pressure because of the high altitude. Mr Ota should thank Singapore Airlines for looking after his well being instead of suing them. How ungrateful !!!
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