KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — AirAsia has submitted enhanced procedures governing the use of medical child restraint devices on its flights after a family travelling with a daughter who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy was denied boarding from Singapore to Kuching last month.
The low-cost carrier said it had proposed the revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) to the authorities for approval following a review of the May 26 incident, which drew widespread attention on social media.
In a statement today, AirAsia X (AirAsia Group) chief safety and quality officer Captain Saravanan Subramaniam said the changes were aimed at improving support for passengers with special needs.
“This incident has given us the opportunity to improve our existing processes so that we can provide better support to passengers with special needs.
“We are committed to ensuring that our policies are continuously refined to meet the needs of our diverse passenger groups,” he said.
Saravanan said passenger safety remained the airline’s priority and that the decision made at the time was in line with existing safety policies and operating procedures.
“We apologise to the family for the inconvenience caused.
“While the decision made at the time was in accordance with the prevailing safety requirements and operating procedures, it was never intended to prevent any passenger from travelling,” he added.
The case gained public attention after the mother of a girl with quadriplegic cerebral palsy said her family had been prevented from boarding despite her daughter having used the same chair on previous flights without issue.
AirAsia said it appreciated the feedback shared by the family and remained committed to making air travel more inclusive for all passengers.
The airline said it had submitted the enhanced SOPs covering the use of approved Child Restraint Devices (CRDs) for medical purposes on board its aircraft and is awaiting regulatory approval.
