American Airlines Doubles Down on Banning Woman With Down Syndrome From Flying Alone

American Airlines is defending its decision to deny boarding to a woman with Down syndrome after her family claimed she was prevented from taking a solo flight to visit relatives.

Jennifer Jaspers had planned to travel alone from Omaha, Nebraska, to North Carolina on July 23 for her annual trip to celebrate her birthday with her father and cousins.

Her mother, Cindy Garrett, told WOWT that at check-in, Jaspers, 52, was asked whether she would be able to evacuate a building on her own in an emergency. Garrett said her daughter replied, “I don’t know,” because the question caught her off guard.

She also added that Jaspers has flown by herself before and the family had accommodations set up in case there were any issues.

“To transfer airplanes we have it set up that they walk her to the next gate,” Garrett said. “I said there’s never been a problem. She has a phone in her purse all the time and she knows how to use it.”

The airline is now doubling down on its decision to not allow Jaspers to fly. In a statement to the outlet, American Airlines said it followed the established procedures in determining that Jaspers would need to travel with a safety assistant.

“To support those who need special assistance, customers who are unable to follow safety instructions during their journey are required to travel with a safety assistant,” the airline said in a statement to the outlet. “Upon review, our team followed established procedures to determine that a safety assistant would be required to travel with the customer — and that option was offered at no cost.”

While Jaspers was offered the opportunity to travel with an assistant, she chose not to and her ticket was refunded.

The United States Department of Transportation also shared a statement with WOWT which read, “The Department takes allegations of disability-related discrimination seriously. Any consumer who believes an airline has violated their rights can file a complaint directly with the airline and USDOT.”