“Wizz Air didn’t let me on the flight just because I was Uzbek” – Citizen of Uzbekistan stranded after Wizz Air denies boarding

A student from Uzbekistan, who went to Germany for the Work and Travel program, purchased a ticket for a Wizz Air flight via Rome on his return trip. However, an airline employee saw his “Uzbekistan” passport and refused to let him board. As a result, the student was stranded in four countries for a week and barely made it home. In an interview with Kun.uz, the man stated that he plans to take legal action against the airline in a European court.

A new complaint has been filed against Wizz Air. Suhrob Ubaydullaev, a student from the University of World Languages of Uzbekistan, who traveled to Europe for the Work and Travel program, accuses Wizz Air of human rights violations, discrimination, and consumer rights violations. According to Suhrob, Wizz Air employees returned him from the airplane gate without any explanation or reason. They refused to provide any clarification or reasoning, threatening him by saying that if he didn’t fly with another airline, he would be reported to the police, deported, and face increased problems, adding that the embassy would be unable to help him.

The incident occurred in late August 2023. Suhrob was supposed to fly from Rome to Abu Dhabi and then to Samarkand with Wizz Air. However, due to the incident in Rome, Suhrob lost his second ticket as well. Not knowing what to do, the student borrowed money and flew to Türkiye, where he ended up staying for several days without accommodation in Istanbul.

“I had bought my return ticket via Italy. The airline staff discriminated against me. When I was leaving Italy, my passport already had a stamp showing that I had left the country. However, the airline employee saw my passport at the gate and asked me to step aside, saying, ‘You are a citizen of Uzbekistan.’ Right there, they canceled my ticket and told me the plane would leave without me. They didn’t check my visa, tickets, or documents issued by Germany; they just saw the ‘Uzbekistan’ label in my passport and detained me,” said Suhrob Ubaydullaev.

During the conversation, Suhrob also shared that he had been deceived in Türkiye, with some fellow nationals robbing him of his money under the pretense of helping. He was too embarrassed to tell his family about his troubles and, in search of a cheaper ticket, bought a flight from Istanbul to Kazan, Russia.

“I had to stay in Türkiye for a week because there were no flights back to Uzbekistan soon. I faced difficulties — if I paid for a ticket, I wouldn’t have enough for accommodation. I couldn’t tell my family about it because I didn’t want them to worry. I needed the cheapest ticket, which was to Kazan, Russia. I flew to Kazan from Istanbul, stayed at the airport for a day, and then flew to Osh. From Osh, I finally made it back home to the Fergana Valley,” said Suhrob Ubaydullaev.

Suhrob flew from Rome to Istanbul, then from Istanbul to Kazan, and from Kazan to Osh. From Osh, he had to travel by car to Namangan. According to him, a single airline employee’s discriminatory actions caused the young student to be stranded in foreign countries.

So, why is he now expressing his dissatisfaction? Suhrob Ubaydullaev stated that over the past months, he had made several attempts to contact the airline through their website and email. He explained the situation and requested compensation, but none of his inquiries received a positive response.

“About a month ago, airline staff contacted me and asked for my personal information and visa card numbers to process compensation. However, they disappeared after that. As a citizen of Uzbekistan, I am demanding my rights. I have contacted the European Court regarding this matter,” said Suhrob Ubaydullaev.

According to the letters and correspondence that Suhrob presented to Kun.uz, airline employees informed him that they would not pay any compensation.

In another email, the airline acknowledged receipt of Suhrob’s letter but refused to respond. As a Wizz Air customer, he was simply asked to be patient. Regarding the case, the passenger mentioned that he had sent letters to several human rights organizations in Europe, but his case had been rejected.

Lately, citizens of Uzbekistan are increasingly getting stranded at airports. Many of the fellow countrymen traveling to Abu Dhabi, in particular, have faced persistent difficulties, and those simply traveling for tourism have been stuck at border checks for hours, causing frustration.