Emirates airline faces backlash for denying wheelchair service to elderly passenger

Netizens call on the airline to show greater sensitivity after the woman’s daughter shared a post on social media detailing the ordeal

Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is facing criticism for failing to provide a wheelchair during transit for a 71-year-old female passenger of Bangladeshi origin.

The woman’s daughter shared a post on social media detailing the ordeal, prompting netizens to call on Emirates to show greater sensitivity.

In response to the backlash, Emirates issued a statement on Saturday, saying it was investigating the incident.

Laila Hossain, aged 71, was flying to New York from Dhaka via Emirates on Jul 10.

According to her daughter, Ishrat Jahan, although a wheelchair was requested at the time of booking, Laila did not receive one at the Dubai and Milan airports, resulting in severe distress.

The Facebook post Ishrat made was widely shared.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, she said: “Due to a family member’s death, my mother had to travel alone. I requested a wheelchair during the booking. She got one in Dhaka, but when she landed in Dubai for transit, she wasn’t provided one.

“A ground staff member at Dubai airport told her she’d get a wheelchair after walking a short distance. But she had to walk a long way to catch her connecting flight.”

“This may seem minor, but for a sick and elderly woman, it was extremely difficult. We were worried, and even after calling Emirates’ call centre, we couldn’t get any help,” she added.

“The situation got worse at Milan’s Malpensa Airport during the two-hour transit,” Ishrat continued. “Passengers to New York usually don’t need to get off, but this time, everyone was asked to disembark. The terminal had no seating arrangements, and my mother had to stand for two hours despite being unwell. She started feeling sick after a while.”

“While she was suffering in Milan, I called Emirates customer service in the US. The representative refused to offer any help and showed a clear lack of compassion for a sick passenger,” she said.

Following the incident, Ishrat made the post denouncing Emirates: “Do we really deserve such poor service after paying for expensive tickets?”

She described it as “the worst travel experience”.

When contacted for comment, Emirates’ Dhaka office shared a statement, reading: "We are investigating a customer complaint concerning mobility support at Milan Malpensa Airport. We take such matters seriously and are working closely with our airport and ground handling partners to understand the circumstances and will respond to the customer directly. We remain committed to providing accessible and inclusive service for all our passengers."