Airline apologizes after two blind passengers removed from a plane

Budget airline HK Express has apologized after two blind passengers alleged its crew removed them from a flight citing safety concerns, in an ordeal that left them feeling “insulted and embarrassed.” Passengers Andy Chui, 34, and John Li, 27, were booked for an afternoon flight from Hong Kong – where both reside – to Tokyo on May 22, and said they had notified the airline about their disability, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Blind Union. The duo said they went through check-in without any issues and were escorted to the boarding gate as usual. On board, crew members briefed them about in-flight safety procedures but later removed them from the plane over safety concerns after learning they were traveling unaccompanied, according to Li and Chui. “We felt insulted and embarrassed. They were treating us as if we were criminals,” Chui said in a press conference on Sunday. Blind Union president Billy Wong, who is authorized to speak on behalf of the two men, said the handling of the situation left the passengers confounded because they had been able to travel alone without issues on other airlines. Wong also called on the airline to investigate its protocols and treatment of travelers with disabilities, saying guidelines from aviation authorities were toothless.<br/>