Namibia: Disabled Flight Access Denial a Blessing in Disguise – Manombe-Ncube

Deputy minister of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare Alexia Manombe-Ncube says an incident earlier this year in which Elizabeth Angondji (28) was denied access to a FlyNamibia flight due to her wheelchair created a platform for the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Manombe-Ncube said this during her keynote address at a FlyNamibia symposium last week involving aviation industry stakeholders and organisations serving persons with disabilities.

“I believe everything happens for a reason, and the negative experience Angondji had in March with air travel turned out for good. Here we are today to craft and unlock a whole new world of better experiences for people with disabilities travelling by air,” she said.

The symposium sought to find practical solutions to accommodate persons with disabilities within the aviation industry.

FlyNamibia managing director Andre Compion said although staff who denied Angondji the opportunity to board the flight acted in line with existing policies and regulations, it became clear to him that something very important was lacking in how the airline handles passengers with disabilities.

“Namibia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And we’re bound to comply with the requirements of the convention,” Compion said.

Angondji booked a flight from Windhoek to Ondangwa with the airline, and informed the airline of her disability. However, when she arrived at the airport, she was informed that she could not fly because she was unable to get on the plane by herself.

Despite explaining that she could get on the plane by herself without any issues, she was still denied the opportunity to board.

According to Angondji, the officials at the airport said she cannot get on the flight because she “doesn’t have legs”.

“I came to Windhoek for a programme hosted by MTC and I felt sick and underwent an operation. MTC, therefore, booked me a flight back home, and we did everything we could to make sure the airline was aware of my needs. Unfortunately, when I got to the airport, they turned me away stating my disability as an issue, despite the fact that I arrived at the airport very early,” she said.

“It is just unbelievable how many doors are closed to persons with disabilities with a big sticker saying: ‘ACCESS DENIED’,” Manombe-Ncube said.