Anti-AirAsia petition after stewardess shaming

Anti-AirAsia petition after stewardess shaming

A social-media backlash in Thailand continues over an AirAsia staff member's treatment by a superior.

Social-media users launched the campaign last week on Change.org with the aim of getting 39,500 names, which is 100 times the number of the traveller reviews on AirAsia on the Skytrax website, Airlinequality.com.

Skytrax is a British-based consultancy that runs an airline and airport review and ranking website.

Last week, there was a widespread furore after a Thai Air-Asia cabin-crew member was forced by a superior to prostrate before a passenger who was autistic.

The latter's mother had complained that the flight attendant had insulted her daughter.

Following the incident, AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes flew to Bangkok and issued an apology.

His plan to meet the parents of the flight attendant in Hat Yai, Songkhla, on Friday to apologise was cancelled, reportedly after they turned down the offer.

The flight attendant claimed that she simply asked the autistic passenger what was wrong because she appeared to be acting erratically on the plane.

She reportedly did not know about the passenger's health status.

The campaign to have the airline dumped from the Skytrax awards was launched with a note that stated there were concerns about Thai AirAsia's security and its treatment of staff given what had happened to the flight attendant.

Those who launched the campaign said although Mr Fernandes apologised on the airline's behalf, AirAsia had not taken any action against the senior employee.

Her act was recorded and posted on the Internet.

The campaigners said the way Thai AirAsia handled the situation could set a bad precedent if there were similar incidents in the future.

They said cabin-crew members may now avoid dealing with passengers who needed immediate attention, which could be harmful to those passengers and jeopardise the safety of other passengers.

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