Airlines

United Airlines Fired A Color Blind Pilot Who Could Not Fly

A pilot is suing United Airlines from being fired shortly after being grounded due to his inability to distinguish distinct colours when flying at night.

A blind couple and their baby were stopped from boarding two separate flights after an airline tried to make them pay for an escort(Opens in a new browser tab)

On April 12, 2022, United recruited Damon Meyer of Portland, but he lost his job less than two months later when he submitted a long-term disability claim through an insurance plan he had just signed up for. He was unable to fly at night because he “couldn’t determine the colours of signals on taxiways”. Although he says there is “no proof” that he had this disease when he was hired, he might have gotten it in the weeks that followed.

Meyer submitted a long-term disability claim through United’s programme the day after being grounded and only six days after signing up for the insurance plan. The next month, United Airlines fired Meyer, citing a “ludicrous theory” that he “would not have met the standards for a legitimate medical licence at the time of his hiring.”

After working for 6 years Chinese cabin crew fired for being too old(Opens in a new browser tab)

If Meyer had a medical examination immediately before being employed by United, the lawsuit claims it is “purely hypothetical” that he would have failed. Meyer’s claims were first accepted by the long-term disability plan’s administrators, but the reimbursement was later withdrawn because of his work termination.

Meyer sued United and the long-term disability plan administrators in a district court in Maine, seeking compensation for his colour blindness. Meyer is still “completely disabled,” according to the lawsuit.

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Airlines

Qatar Airways Cargo and MASkargo Launch New Strategic Partnership

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s top air cargo carrier, has joined forces with MASkargo, the cargo airline of Malaysia Aviation Group, in a landmark partnership that officially took off on October 1, 2024.

In its initial phase, the collaboration has already transported approximately 2,400 tonnes of cargo, including over 600 tonnes of perishables and 130 tonnes of pharmaceuticals.

Under this partnership, Qatar Airways Cargo now operates Boeing 777 flights between Doha and Kuala Lumpur twice weekly, adding over 200 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity.

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MASkargo complements this with its Airbus A330 freighters, offering more than 75 tonnes of weekly capacity from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and Melbourne, with an impressive transit time of just eight hours.

Key hubs at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) are central to the partnership’s success. These strategic locations provide state-of-the-art facilities and seamless connections for handling and transporting goods efficiently across continents.

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The collaboration is a win-win for both airlines. qatar airways Cargo gains expanded access to markets, and qatar airways new destinations 2025 like Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia, while MASkargo strengthens its connectivity to Europe, the GCC, the Levant, and Africa.

Additionally, the agreement boosts local businesses in Kuala Lumpur, enabling them to export their products to global markets.

This partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July 2024, which aimed to enhance product offerings qatar airways web check in and optimize operational synergies.

By leveraging each other’s networks and fleet capacities, both airlines are set to significantly expand their cargo services and deliver unmatched value to their customers worldwide.