Media laden…
Hello everyone,
Today, I have something weird to share.
I am flying to Morocco for a few days on the 6th of January, and Transavia is threatening to refuse me entry to my flight if I don’t bring a guide.
I made sure to share that I have a visual disability and might need assistance on the airport / flight.
They are citing security reasons, which is complete bullshit.
Under European law (EC Regulation No. 1107/2006), it is forbidden to refuse a passenger boarding simply because of their disability.
When citing security concerns, they have to very clearly state what those concerns are; it isn’t a blank check. Moreover, these concerns mostly have to do with the size of support tools that someone might be using and the use of said tools in complex situations.
In my case, none of this applies. All I have is my cane. It is ridiculous for them to threaten to deny me entry based on security concerns.
This is not only problematic for me and other people with disabilities, but for the entire aviation sector. Whenever you have idiots like this claiming security concerns just so they can be lazy, it discredits the entire sector. This is because any security concerns that actually do happen from time to time become far less credible. Airlines then have to prove that they aren’t just trying to avoid their responsibilities in providing assistance and that there are actual, credible security concerns.
What does Transavia think assistance means anyway? Assistance in showing people with disabilities without a guide the door? Assistance means they assist — not that you have to find your own assistance. As explained earlier, demanding someone bring their own assistance only applies in very specific situations, and people with a visual disability in no way fall into that category.
So I have taken the following steps:
First, I submitted a complaint to the ILT (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport), the Dutch regulatory authority overseeing the aviation sector.
Second, I am sharing my story and the e-mail I received here.
The mail has been anonymised so my email address is hidden, but otherwise left exactly the way I received it.
And finally, I am keeping a close figurative eye on the day I am actually flying. If they do kick me off the flight, I will try to document it to the best of my ability.
Please share this with your contacts as well. Behaviour like this needs to be called out and spread whenever it happens, so we can reduce the chance of it happening again.
Documenting shit like this is one of the main reasons I set up the blog in the first place.
Yours,
Ihab
This is the mail:
From: Transavia TIP@transavia.com
Sent: Friday, December 5, 2025, 10:45:33 AM
To: [Recipient anonymised] <[email address anonymised]>
Subject: Transavia – Response to your request QUE-5100266 – Your flight
Booking number:
Regarding booking number:
Dear Ihab,
I tried to reach you by phone regarding your upcoming trip on 06/01/2025 from Rotterdam to Tangier, but unfortunately I was unable to reach you. According to my information, you are travelling alone and you have indicated that you have a visible/invisible disability. For this reason, I advise you to travel with an accompanying person of at least 16 years old.
I would like to emphasise how important it is to travel with an accompanying person of at least 16 years old. If you choose to travel without an accompanying person, it is possible that you may not be allowed to board for safety reasons. To reduce this risk and to ensure that you are properly assisted, we recommend that you arrive at least 2.5 hours before departure of your flight and travel with an accompanying person.
Kind regards,
Sabriye
Transavia Service Center
© 2025, Transavia
and this is my reply to transavia:
Beste Transavia,
Ik heb een visuele beperking. Enige tijd geleden ontving ik van jullie een e-mail waarin werd gesteld dat ik een begeleider moest meenemen en dat jullie mij de toegang tot de vlucht zouden kunnen weigeren als ik dat niet zou doen.
Ik weet dat dit niet klopt. Onder EU-verordening (EG) nr. 1107/2006 kunnen passagiers met een beperking niet de toegang worden geweigerd enkel en alleen vanwege hun beperking.
Veiligheidsredenen kunnen in sommige gevallen van toepassing zijn, maar die hebben met name betrekking op de grootte van hulpmiddelen en het gebruik daarvan in complexe situaties.
Ik heb enkel en alleen een visuele beperking en gebruik een blindegeleidestok. Deze situatie is daarom op mij niet van toepassing.
Daarom heb ik de volgende stappen ondernomen:
– Ik heb een klacht ingediend bij de ILT (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport) over het gebrek aan assistentie en jullie eis om zelf een begeleider mee te nemen.
– Ik heb hierover ook een artikel geschreven op mijn blog, om dit voorval breder onder de aandacht te brengen.
Het artikel is hier te vinden:
Ik hoop jullie hiermee voldoende te hebben geïnformeerd en wens jullie fijne feestdagen toe.
Met vriendelijke groet,
Ihab