The Russian airline Pobeda, which had previously refused to fly to Crimea under pressure from Western sanctions, found itself at the center of a new scandal - this time the reason was the refusal to transport a disabled child.
It is reported Press Service of the Federal Air Transport Agency.
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“On April 14, 2017, a mother with a 2-year-old child suffering from cerebral palsy arrived at the Pobeda airline check-in counter to issue boarding passes for the night flight PBD 407 Vnukovo (Moscow) - Koltsovo (Ekaterinburg), which was supposed to depart on the 15th April 2017 at 00:50 Moscow time.
To avoid misunderstandings, the passenger informed Pobeda Airlines in advance about the transportation of a child suffering from a serious illness, and also arrived for check-in on time.
However, an employee of Pobeda Airlines, a supervisor of the group organizing passenger transportation, refused to register the mother and child for the flight, citing an alleged “failure in the passenger list program” as the reason for his actions. As an “alternative,” a representative of Pobeda suggested that they fly on a flight of another airline from Sheremetyevo airport on the morning of the same day.
The Federal Air Transport Agency considers it necessary to thoroughly understand the reasons for what happened. With the involvement of control and supervisory authorities, the Federal Air Transport Agency will verify the causes and circumstances of this ugly incident, which is unprecedented against the backdrop of the efforts being made by public organizations, the Government of the Russian Federation and federal executive authorities to create a barrier-free, most comfortable environment for persons with disabilities.” , the department said in a statement.