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EasyJet on trial in France over disabled passengers

EasyJet goes to court in France this week to fight two separate legal challenges by disabled passengers who it refused to fly, in the latest accusations of discrimination against the budget airline.

EasyJet on trial in France over disabled passengers
EasyJet go on trial in France this week over refusin to allow disabled passengers to fly unaccompanied. Photo: Oberau-Online

The British company is being challenged over its refusal to allow two female wheelchair-users – one of whom was travelling to her son's funeral in Portugal – to fly unaccompanied.

The airline has argued that it acted for safety reasons, and in compliance with British and European laws.

The first case, to be heard Monday in the Paris appeals court, dates back to March 2010 when Marie-Patricia Hoarau boarded an EasyJet plane from Paris to the French Riviera city of Nice.

Hoarau, who has been in a wheelchair for decades following a mountain bike accident, had travelled from Nice to the French capital the previous day without any problems.

But this time round, cabin crew asked her whether she could get to an emergency exit on her own. When she said no, they told her she had to be accompanied by someone.

A pilot travelling on the same flight agreed to step in and sit next to the 39-year-old, but the airline's management said this was not adequate and ordered the captain to disembark Hoarau.

Hoarau later took another flight, saying she was "humiliated and rejected", but she decided to take EasyJet and the captain to court after contacting France's disabled association APF.

In May 2012, a French court let the captain off but fined the airline €5,000 ($6,900), and ordered it to give Hoarau an additional €5,000 in damages.

The British company appealed the verdict, saying it was in compliance with British law when it refused to let her board for security reasons.

The second case, to be heard on Thursday in the Paris suburb of Bobigny, involves another wheelchair user who was refused onto a flight from Paris because she was travelling alone.

She was forced to buy a last-minute return ticket with another company to get to her son's funeral in Portugal.

This is not the first time that EasyJet has been taken to court over allegations of discrimination.

In January last year, a French court fined the airline €70,000 for refusing to allow three wheelchair users to board its planes between November 2008 and January 2009, in what a lawyer for the plaintiffs said was a "landmark ruling".

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TRAVEL

Travel in Switzerland: Geneva airport launches more Christmas flights

An increased number of flights will link the Swiss city with dozens of international destinations.

Travel in Switzerland: Geneva airport launches more Christmas flights
SWISS and EasyJet will fly to 70 destinations. Photo by AFP

Starting on December 19th, the timetable from Geneva’s Cointrin airport will be expanded to include 70 cities.

Most flights will be operated by EasyJet and SWISS.

The flagship airline will jet to 15 cities, including two new destinations — Marrakech in Morocco and Hurghada in Egypt.

EasyJet will fly to 40 cities in Europe. It will ensure nonstop flights to Spain, Portugal, France, and Greece, among other popular destinations.

It will also be possible to fly again to many regions of central and eastern Europe, where flights were discontinued or sharply reduced during the pandemic.

They include Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Kosovo.

Before you book a flight, however, be aware of most recent regulations and restrictions that are in effect at your destination.

READ MORE: Covid-19: What you need to know if you are travelling abroad from Switzerland

Some countries require you to be tested for Covid-19 prior to arrival and present a negative result. Others have a compulsory quarantine.

Switzerland also requires arrivals from certain countries to self-quarantine for 10 days. 

Whether on arrival or return, quarantine means you won’t be able to go out or receive guests during the time mandated by the government — usually between 10 and 14 days.

 

 

 

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