Flight delay chaos exposes gaps in support for deaf travellers

“WE DID not know what was going on at any time. It was awful... I felt powerless and vulnerable,” said Glentin Huisamen, Eastern Cape Deaf Rugby vice president, recalling the chaotic experience that left him and two fellow players stranded during a FlySafair flight delay from Johannesburg.

- ANITA NKONKI

The national Deaf rugby players were left in the dark after their flight on Sunday was diverted to Cape Town due to a technical outage at Gqeberha’s airport.

With no announcements they could hear, the players spent the night on the floor at OR Tambo International Airport, taking turns to stay awake and guard their belongings while unsure of when they would continue their journey.

Huisamen described the ordeal in detail: “Since we could not hear any announcements, and they did not have a safe space to sleep, we had to take turns to try and sleep to make sure that our bags were safe and that no one snuck up on us while we were sleeping or that we missed the boarding details.