Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh

Riyadh, Apr 12: General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), in its new statement, revealed that air carriers in Saudi Arabia cannot refuse boarding passes to people with special needs after their tickets are issued.

It asked air carriers to compensate 200 percent of the value of the ticket if people with special needs are not provided appropriate facilities, so long as their needs are disclosed prior to the booking’s completion.

It also stated that the equipment, required by passengers with special needs to manage their lives, could not be taken into account for baggage limit and there should not be any additional cost to store this equipment.

Airports in the Kingdom should provide additional resources, including crutches and wheelchairs, for passengers who need them. Passengers should, however, notify the airlines 48 hours in advance, declared the statement.

The statement comes as part of GACA’s commitment to introduce new executive regulations for customer rights, under the slogan ‘Your rights are protected.’