SHENZHEN Airlines was accused of discriminating against the disabled after two disabled Shenzhen residents were not allowed to board a flight at Beijing Capital Airport on Tuesday.
Zheng Weining, a star entrepreneur in Shenzhen providing employment for thousands of disabled, and his companion Liu Haijun, were initially refused permission to board a flight from Beijing to Shenzhen because Liu couldn t walk.
They were told that Liu could not escape if the airplane was in trouble, according to a report in Thursday s Daily Sunshine. They were told to transfer to another flight.
Shenzhen Airlines duty manager that day, Zhang Yan, said the decision was for the pair s safety.
Zhang said a disabled passenger had already boarded the same flight and the flight could not accommodate more than one disabled passenger.
Zheng asked a volunteer who was accompanying them to throw their luggage and Liu s wheelchair onto the service counter, smashing the glass. I was venting my anger for discrimination against the disabled, he said.
The disabled aren t second-class citizens and shouldn t be treated like this, said Zheng.
Zheng and Liu finally boarded the plane after signing a legal disclaimer saying Shenzhen Airlines would undertake no responsibility if there was an accident
The incident was first spread on Sina s microblogging service and caused a buzz on the Internet.
Zheng said it was the first time he had been refused to board a plane although he traveled extensively each year.
He usually just needs to fill in an application form for a wheelchair used while boarding.
Zhang Qihuai, a well-known aviation legal expert, said it was offensive to the personal dignity of the disabled and they could claim compensation for the psychological harm.
Shenzhen Airlines had not commented. (Tina Chen)
