Dana Air, on Monday, related how a physically-challenged passenger, Dr Chike Okogwu violently attacked its staff and booking systems at its Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja office yesterday.
The airline’s spokesman, Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa, said in a statement that the passenger turned violent when Dana Air staff “politely explained to him that as a matter of policy, comfort and safety of our guests, we do not carry Special Passengers and offered him to check him in first on the 7am flight the next day (today).
He said the passenger rejected the offer and assaulted the staff on duty, inflicted bodily harm on him in the process.
He said Okogwu had “enjoyed the luxury of flying with us for many years even as other airlines have totally refused to even sell tickets to him as a result of his reputation of verbally attacking able-bodied staff assigned to assist him whenever he is flying.”
The statement
“To put the issue into proper perspective, the said passenger ( a PWD Person With Disability) who we regard as Special Passengers at Dana Air, got to our counter yesterday, 20th December 2020 at about 8pm for his flight and when our Duty Manager noticed him in the midst of the upsurge of passengers, approached him and politely explained to him that as a matter of policy, comfort and safety of our guests, we do not carry Special Passengers at night while offering to check him in first, on the 7am flight the next day.
“The said passenger blatantly refused the offer and went violent on the duty manager causing her injuries in the process. This same passenger also went further to destroy our check-in systems, chairs, Covid-19 Protective glass shields and weighing machines at our counter in Abuja. (We have our video evidence)
“Dr Chike Okogwu has enjoyed the luxury of flying with us for many years even as other airlines have totally refused to even sell tickets to him as a result of his reputation of verbally attacking able-bodied staff assigned to assist him whenever he is flying.
“Apart from this reason why other airlines avoid him, Dr Chike knows that Dana Air is among the few airlines that accept Persons with Disability with a policy which we expect them to follow strictly in their own interest and in the interest of safety.
“While we acknowledge and regret the frustrations of our guests at this time and working round the clock to resolve the undesirable issues our guests are experiencing, we wish to state without an iota of doubt that Dana Air has never, and will never as a brand; discriminate against ANY passenger no matter the circumstance.
“Dana Air will also not tolerate any acts of violence against any of her staff, passengers or property and as a law abiding corporate citizen of Nigeria, we urge Dr Chike Okogwu to be civil in his engagements as everything we do at Dana Air will always be in the interest of safety.”
