We refer to the news report about how Thai AirAsia is refusing to allow handicapped passengers to fly unaccompanied on flights in Thailand. (Blind and disabled passengers can't fly alone on Thai AirAsia).

PetPositive feels the reason given by Southeast Asia's largest low-cost carrier that the airline does not have ground staff to help the blind, deaf and other disabled passengers is nothing but discriminatory and totally unacceptable.

Not providing services for its disabled passengers is not only an extremely weak excuse by Thai AirAsia, but is also an attempt by the airline company to shirk its responsibilities of providing quality service for all passengers, in this case, patrons with disabilities.

The policy reflects on the total lack of understanding of AirAsia about disabled people. It is attitudes like these that make us suffer as disabled persons; not our handicapping conditions.

What next? People above the age of 55, breast cancer survivors, people who have high blood pressure, asthma, vertigo, those who require dialysis treatment, etc, will also have to have someone to accompany them or else they will not be able to fly?

Do people with disabilities actually have helpers and friends like this at their disposal at all times who will be willing to cancel everything they are doing and hop into a plane with them? And who is going to pay for their tickets, stay, food, etc?

It is attitudes and actions like that of Thai AirAsia's chief executive officer, Tassapon Bijleveld in defending the company's policy, that stymies and thwarts every good effort made and done by the many good people in our society to fully integrated disabled persons as equal citizens in our societies.

AirAsia, please go forward, not backwards.

The writer is president Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PetPositive).