By Lee Hyo-sik
Korean Air, the nation’s largest flagship carrier, is causing a stir in the United States after refusing to let a cancer patient board its flight from Seattle to Incheon.
According to KING5-TV, a Seattle-based broadcaster, Crystal Kim, 62, went to Korean Air’s check-in counter in a wheelchair at Sea-Tac Airport on April 8 for a plane heading to Korea. But a ticket agent refused to issue a boarding pass for Kim, diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer, saying she looked too sick to fly.
“I wanted to take my mom to Korea for Mother’s Day. But when we went to check in, the Korean Air ticket agent asked whether she is okay to fly. They then said they need a doctor’s note,” Crystal’s daughter, Mimi, told the TV station.
Mimi said she showed a doctor’s note clearing Crystal to fly. But the airline wouldn’t allow it. “We went back to a hospital Monday morning to get another note. But Korean Air still wasn’t satisfied. They said the matter is up to the home office in Seoul to decide. Monday’s flight left without us,” Mimi said.
They planned to go to Korea for Crystal to combine eastern medicine with mainstream treatment, which could give her more time.
But the airline said it had no other choice but to deny Crystal boarding the plane because she looked too frail to fly, stressing that its staff in Seattle are doing everything they can to accommodate her medical and other needs.
“Korean Air like any other airline has policies and procedures to deal with passengers with medical conditions. Despite doctors’ clearance notes, she looked too sick to fly on a long distance route. The Kims are currently staying in a hotel near the airport as we try to make necessary arrangements for Crystal to possibly fly on our plane,” a Korean Air spokesman said.
He then said if someone died in flight, it would traumatize other passengers on the plane, not to mention family members and friends traveling with the person.
“The plane would also have to divert, causing a great deal of inconvenience to other passengers. To prevent such an occurrence, we apply strict medical screening standards to passengers with health problems,” the spokesman said.
He said the airline is now talking with the Kims about what has to be done for Crystal to fly, stressing that the company is putting top priority on passengers’ well-being and safe operation of its airplanes.