"NGO slams ‘insulting, offensive’ removal of blind men from HK Express flight, as equality body says ‘not discriminatory’" 9 July 2024

An incident that saw two visually impaired men forced off a HK Express flight was a result of improper procedures, not discrimination, the head of Hong Kong’s equality watchdog has said.

Linda Lam, the chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), told RTHK on Monday the airline should improve their guidelines... The watchdog chair said airlines had the right to make these assessments, but that there was “room for improvement” in how HK Express had handled the incident...

Her comments came after two visually impaired men on Sunday said that cabin crew had forced them off a Tokyo-bound HK Express plane in May, citing safety concerns before letting them board a later flight...the pair sought help from the Hong Kong Blind Union, which contacted the Civil Aviation Department. HK Express allowed the pair to board a flight for Tokyo later that night.

In the weeks after, Chui and Li sent emails and called the airline asking for an explanation...More than a month later, in early July, the airline said over the phone that it had not been able to confirm if it was cabin crew or the pilot who ordered the two men to be removed, and that it needed two more weeks to investigate...

According to the union, however, the airline’s attitude changed after learning about the press conference. In a letter dated Saturday, which was shown to reporters, the airline reiterated its apology and said it would issue a compensation. HK Express said the airline had to ensure the safety of all passengers under emergency situations, and that ground crew and cabin crew had not been able to reach a consensus in the case of Chui and Li.

The Hong Kong Blind Union...urged Cathay Pacific – which owns HK Express – to issue a public apology and launch an investigation into the incident. The association called the decision to remove the two men “insulting and offensive.”...