U.S. citizen Melissa Sotomayor from New Jersey made news headlines when she accused United Airlines of improper care toward her medical condition son during his Tampa to Newark journey. The 21-month-old child of Sotomayor needs a ventilator and portable oxygen concentrator to maintain life since he was born preterm with medical conditions. The airline demanded Sotomayor to disengage her son's life-sustaining medical equipment despite having previously supplied every needed medical document before their trip.
The flight attendant visited Sotomayor in her seat where she demanded that she disconnect her ventilator and remove her oxygen concentrator because the devices required restraint during takeoff. Sotomayor made it clear to the flight crew that taking off the essential machines from her son was impossible due to his need for life support. United personnel kept insisting that Sotomayor remove her son from the ventilator despite presentation of medical documentation and department approval. The pilot communicated doubts about aircraft safety with his oxygen equipment and brought questions about permitting the child on board.
The delayed departure lasted more than sixty minutes until the aircraft took off. The experience made Sotomayor suffer humiliation while she also condemned the airline's execution of the situation. United Airlines has issued a formal statement indicating that they reached out to Sotomayor to resolve her worries and delivered a sincere apology for causing her annoyance. Sotomayor finds the airline apology insincere and she does not accept their current response.
This event initiated a wider dialogue about airline treatment of passengers with disabilities while creating a demand for proper training of staff members who interact with such customers. The Air Carrier Access Act forbids discrimination against disabled passengers in airline travel so airlines must maintain these standards through safe and respectful accommodation for all passengers.