Dubai airline refuses to fly blind passenger

Oct 05, 2010
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai's FlyDubai airline refused to allow blind American passenger to fly because of his disability.

According to the Associated Press, Zuhair Mahmoud says he was told by FlyDubai airline staff members that the carrier's policies did not allow blind travelers to fly unless accompanied by someone else.

The airline's chief executive said in an e-mail to AP on Tuesday that the incident never should have happened and that the airline doesn't discriminate against passengers with special needs. CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith says the airline plans a full investigation and is sorry for the incident.

AP reports that the 37-year-old Mahmoud, of Arlington, Virginia, is staying with family in Dubai until he can catch another flight out to Jordan before heading back to the U.S.