Hungarian airline forcibly removes Ukrainian veteran with amputated leg from flight
A Ukrainian veteran who lost his leg in the war has been forcibly removed from a plane at the Israeli airport of Tel Aviv.
This was done by employees of the Hungarian airline Wizz Air. After the incident, they explained the situation and publicly apologised on their official website.
According to Wizz Air, the Ukrainian soldier could not sit in his seat because of his prosthetic limb, Nexta reported.
He said he lost his leg in the war and was flying to his family in Ukraine.
Quote: "He was crying and yelling 'how am I going to get home?' He showed the stewardess a backpack in which there were only gifts for his family," the airline said.
During the flight, he stood in the plane's corner for an hour and a half. Later, he fell and injured his hands. The flight crew said he had behaved inappropriately and was therefore forced to leave the flight.
"We apologise for the upset caused regarding a passenger on our Tel Aviv flight to Warsaw recently. Safety is our number one priority and it is our crew's responsibility to ensure that all passengers are fit to fly or are accompanied by someone to support them," Wizz Air stated after the incident.
The company added that if the company’s staff admits any indication that a passenger has a medical condition that might put them at risk while flying, they are obliged to deny boarding.
"In this instance, it was a difficult but necessary decision taken with the passenger's safety in mind. He was provided with water and somewhere to sit while waiting for assistance from airport staff," Wizz Air emphasised.
They noted that they regret this incident and are investigating its circumstances.
Background: A bone prosthesis was implanted for the first time in Ukraine in Lviv into the bone of a 56-year-old veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
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