Ukraine’s MFA condemns Ukrainian war veteran’s expulsion from Wizz Air plane
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned an incident involving an amputee Ukrainian war veteran, who was taken off a flight of Hungarian airline Wizz Air at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion airport, Israel, on July 9.
Video from the plane has gone viral on social media, showcasing how the veteran was forced off the flight because he was unable to sit due to his prosthesis. He explained that he had lost his leg in the war and was returning home to relatives in Ukraine from treatment in Israel.
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The man was forced to stand in the corner of the plane for an hour and a half, but later fell and injured his hands. In turn, the crew took him off the flight, an eyewitness said.
“He was crying and shouting, ‘How will I get home?’” the author captioned the video.
“He showed the flight attendant a backpack that contained only gifts for his family, who must have been waiting for him for a long time.”
Wizz Air posted a statement on Twitter on July 9 in which it apologized “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,” the airline said.
“If there is any indication that a passenger has a medical condition that might put them at risk while flying, we 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.”
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Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko condemned the airline’s actions and said that his ministry was investigating the incident.
“Since we have not received formal appeals, we ask the Ukrainian veteran who was denied a flight to Warsaw to contact the Foreign Ministry or the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel,” the official said.
The Foreign Ministry will make every effort to ensure that the rights of the Ukrainian citizen are recognized, Nikolenko added.
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