Emirates airline has apologised to a disabled passenger who felt “humiliated” after abandoning her luggage in Dubai so she could carry life-saving oxygen equipment on board a flight to Pakistan.
Amna Raheel, who has muscular dystrophy, was flying from Dubai to Karachi when she was told she would have to pay extra to take her oxygen concentrator on board flight EK606 on August 9.
Her genetic condition causes muscles to gradually weaken over time, leading to an increasing level of disability.
Ms Raheel, a Pakistan citizen, also has a lung condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
She requires the oxygen when she gets out of breath, particularly at altitude, and regularly travels with the device.
Emirates has a policy allowing similar medical devices to be carried on board, if signed off by a medical practitioner in advance.
But on checking in her luggage at Dubai International Airport’s terminal three, ground staff said Ms Raheel would have to pay an excess baggage fee, as the weight of the equipment took her above her free allocation.
“I was told that I was overweight and my oxygen concentrator would be counted in my baggage allowance, which was highly absurd since I was carrying a medical certificate with me,” said Ms Raheel, who posted of her experience on social media.
“That would mean that if a person with disability is carrying a life-saving equipment with them, they are not allowed to carry any other form of luggage, including essential items like clothes, shoes or toiletries.
“If a wheelchair for disabled passengers is free of baggage allowance, then lifesaving medical equipment should be too.
“I am a frequent traveller and I have never in my 31 years of travel life faced such humiliation by airport staff.”
Despite presenting a medical letter from Dr Ali bin Sarwar Zubairi, a pulmonologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, check-in staff refused to accept the device as an essential piece of equipment and insisted she paid an excess baggage fee.
Ms Raheel, who runs her own wellness gift business, said she was forced to abandon her luggage at the airport and fly home to Pakistan just with her oxygen machine.
The airline has since apologised and said it would review its procedures.
Emirates apologises for incident
“Emirates would like to offer our sincere apologies for the distress and inconvenience caused to Ms Raheel,” an official said.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service and were disappointed to learn that our policies relating to the carriage of portable oxygen devices were misinterpreted by check-in staff, coupled with behaviour that did not reflect our values and service standards.
“We take this feedback seriously and are taking the necessary steps to ensure that incidents such as this do not happen again.
“Our customer affairs team is currently in contact with Ms Raheel.”
Assisted ventilation for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy has become more common outside of hospital, as devices are now smaller and more portable.
The equipment used by Ms Raheel concentrates oxygen from a gas supply by removing nitrogen to supply an oxygen enriched flow of vapour that can be inhaled.
They are particularly useful for those with breathing difficulties or respiratory conditions such as asthma, and typically cost around Dh3,000 ($816) to Dh5,000.
Oxygen concentrators are also used by patients recovering from a long-term covid-19 infection that has left them with scarring on lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe.
Charity offers new machine
Faisal Jamil, chairman of the Humanitarian Association for National Development Support, in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, read of Ms Raheel’s experience and would like to donate a smaller, more portable device made by Philips for her to use in future.
“We have been using these devices with covid patients in Pakistan for more than two years now,” he said.
“Normally, some airlines do not allow people to fly with these [larger] kind of machines, so we have arranged for a brand-new, battery-operated oxygen concentrator for her to use in future.”
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
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- Add tint to windows
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- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
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More on animal trafficking
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
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7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The specs
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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
