Support The Moscow Times!

Airline in Hot Water for Refusing to Let Disabled Girl Fly

A plane in the fleet of Vladivostok Air, which has come under fire for allegedly refusing to allow a disabled girl to board one of its planes. Dzerod / Wikipedia

The Maritime Transportation Prosecutor's office is investigating a case in which Vladivostok Air refused to allow a disabled teen to board a plane over confusion about whether her condition permitted her to fly, news reports said Thursday.

Marina Barlukova, 18, was trying to return home to Ulan-Ude from Moscow, where she had undergone a leg amputation and chemotherapy. She had purchased three tickets so she would be able to lie down for the six-hour flight.

But despite having letters from doctors clearing her to fly, the airline informed her the day before the journey that they would not let her board without assurances that nothing would happen to her during the flight. They also asked her for an additional 200 euros ($270), her family said.

"Vladivostok Air asked for unusual papers — a guarantee from a doctor that she will be in full health at the moment of takeoff. It's absurd," Ivan Barlukov, Marina's father, told Vesti.ru. "No one can issue that sort of document, even to a healthy person."

Kristina Ilinskaya, a senior aide to the prosecutor, said they are looking into the case but that it is currently unclear who was responsible for the scandal, since it was a code-share flight between Vladivostok Air and Aeroflot.

"At the moment, the prosecutor is clarifying the reasons for the refusal to transport a passenger with poor mobility and also the reasons why they fined her," she said, RBK reported.

Vladivostok Air is also undertaking an internal investigation, but a source told Vesti.ru that they were looking out for her safety and that of her fellow passengers.

"If the company is not sure whether a passenger will make it through the flight without causing harm to themselves and others around them, then we try not to take such responsibility on ourselves," the source said.

An e-mail request on Thursday for comment from the airline went unanswered.

Yekaterina Chisyakova, director of Gift of Life, the charity that helped pay for the flight and her treatment, told The Moscow Times that she believed a Vladivostok Air representative had apologized and that the fund would use the airline again.

"We don't have a choice because the airport uses this company. All people learn from their mistakes, and they will learn," she said. "We'll see what they say next time."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more