Japanese bar group urges AirAsia X to apologize for refusal to check man’s wheelchair

Japan’s bar association said Wednesday it has urged a Malaysian low-cost carrier to offer an apology to a disabled Japanese man over its refusal to check in his electric wheelchair on a flight, eventually causing the man to miss his flight at Kansai airport. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations said it also demanded that the airline, AirAsia X, correct such treatment of handicapped people, which the association calls an “abuse of human rights,” and not to repeat such actions in the future. The airline has not responded to the letter. According to the association, AirAsia X in March 2014 refused to check the man’s wheelchair at Kansai International Airport as luggage on the basis of weight, although it was below the 85-kg limit designated by the airline. The wheelchair was about 80 kg and he had also informed the airline of its size and weight beforehand. The man was to fly to Kuala Lumpur. “The weight of the wheelchair was not as much as it would have troubled the plane in flying, and the denial of his boarding is a discriminatory action that violated the freedom to move,” the association said.<br/>