Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Centrum Air said a passenger travelling on 5 October on flight C6468 from Samara to Tashkent was denied boarding because of his behaviour on board, rather than his request to communicate in Uzbek.
The carrier’s comment followed a post by blogger komil_vlogs, who claimed that he was denied boarding after asking a flight attendant to speak to him in Uzbek.
Centrum Air’s press service said all of the airline’s flight attendants speak Uzbek, Russian and English and communicate with passengers in the language they prefer.
According to the airline, the passenger “behaved aggressively towards the flight attendant” while other passengers were boarding. Centrum Air said the man made demands in a rude manner, insulted the employee and obstructed her work.
“Such behaviour could have posed a threat to safety and order on board, so the aircraft commander decided not to allow the passenger to fly,” the company said, describing the decision as justified.
The airline also said all circumstances surrounding the incident had been documented. Centrum Air is considering whether to appeal to law enforcement agencies over the passenger’s actions.
The blogger later said he had purchased a ticket to Moscow, from where he planned to travel to Tashkent or Samarkand. He also said he intended to contact the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Russia and seek justice after returning to Uzbekistan.
At the same time, the blogger separately noted that Centrum Air flight attendants generally communicate correctly, but made negative comments about the female flight attendants. After the blogger's post went up, comments appeared with abusive remarks about the airline employee, along with calls to boycott the carrier.
