The Assistant Austrian Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, Wilhelm Brauner writes
"As we have been informed, it is Lauda
Air's company policy not to carry Sri Lankan passport holders ..."
Lauda Air Discriminates ...
As a faculty member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, I was supposed to leave Hong Kong on June 29th 1997 to attend the International Ergonomics Association Conference in Finland on Lauda Air Flight NG 8 from Hong Kong to Vienna, Austria at 2020.
When I approached the Lauda Air counter at the Hong Kong airport at around 6.15 PM, the handling agent supervisor, Mr. Lai Lap Shing (Permit Number 9610709),
an employee of Hong Kong International Airport Services Limited (HIAS, a handling agent in Hong Kong)
said that I cannot board the aircraft since Lauda Air does not carry any Sri Lankan passport holders.
To quote Mr. Shing's words, "Sri Lankans carry fake passports; I am not saying this is a fake passport but this is the company regulation. I hope you know that the airlines can refuse boarding to any passenger" he said. When I requested that Mr. Shing give this to me in writing, he refused. When I asked Mr. Shing to show the policy, he said it is not public but all travel agents are aware about this policy and that my travel agent (Sincerity Travel) made a grave mistake in issuing a ticket to a Sri Lankan passport holder. Mr. Lai Lap Shing turned down my request to transfer me to a different airline saying that the ticket did not allow him to do so. There is a witness to these statements.
At that time, I phoned my travel agent, Sincerity Travel, the two Lauda Air offices in Hong Kong and Vienna (43-1-514770), but all were closed. I had a valid visa to Finland obtained from the Consulate General of Finland here in Hong Kong and a confirmed ticket on Austrian Airlines (for the Vienna to Helsinki sector) and Finnair (for the Helsinki to Tampere sector) to take me to Tampere, Finland and back to Hong Kong on the same route. Prior to this incident, the airport inquiry office of Lauda Air (2769-7017) said that I do not need a transit visa in Austria if my stay is only 6 hours.
There was no Station Manager or a Country Manager for Lauda Air when this occurred. Both were supposedly on vacation according to Mr. Lai Lap Shing. It is somewhat surprising that Lauda Air has a Hong Kong International Airport Services Limited (a handling agent in Hong Kong) employee in charge of an International Flight from Hong Kong who has no authority to take or make a decision in emergencies such as these. The following are parts of correspondence sent by the Austrian Trade Commission and Lauda Air offices in Hong Kong in response to letters sent by the university authorities.
Letter sent by the Austrian Trade Commission in Hong Kong in response to complaint made by the Assistant Purchasing Manager, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
"... Due to International experience that high percentage of Sri Lankan
passports are either forged or equipped with forged visa permits the
Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised to deal with Sri Lankan
passport holders with great caution.
As we have been informed it is Lauda
Air's company policy not to carry Sri Lankan passport holders due to the
problems that have arisen in recent time. ..."
signed ...
Wilhelm Brauner (Assistant Austrian Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong)
"racial discrimination shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life."
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 660 U.N.T.S. 195, entered into force Jan. 4, 1969, Article 1.
Response from Lauda Air to complaint made by the Assistant Purchasing Manager, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
"... With reference to your letter dated 04 July, 1997 and our telephone conversation, please note that Lauda Air does not have any discrimination policy. However, due to the fact that a large number of fake Sri Lanka Passports were found together with fake visa in the past, our ground staff were very much alert and had made a decision to refuse boarding your passenger.
As Dr. Goonetilleke purchased his ticket through travel agent, I hope you can understand that there is no way for us to inform him in advance until passenger check-in at the airport. Since he was holding a restriction ticket which did not allow endorsement, in such case, our ground staff could not transfer him to other carrier as shown on the ticket. ...."
signed ...
Joe Kwok (Sales Manager for Lauda Air, Hong Kong and China)
Do the human race a service - boycott Lauda Air
An airline owned by a driver, "run" by a handling agent employee
"...existence of racial barriers is repugnant to the ideals of any human society"
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 660 U.N.T.S. 195, entered into force Jan. 4, 1969.
Links to Related Material
Maintained by Ravindra Goonetilleke
Your are visitor number 
since May 3, 2000.
Have a good, nondiscriminatory day!
Feel free to publicize any of the information given above
last updated October 20 2004