Emirates Airlines insists man's ashes travel as luggage

A Brisbane family is in shock after an airline told the mother she could only take her husband's ashes to India as checked luggage, contrary to Sikh tradition.
Nashater Hayer and her daughter Debbie are scheduled to fly to the Indian state of Punjab on Sunday to throw Kewal Singh Hayer's ashes into the Kiratpur River, but the airline will not let Mrs Hayer carry the urn with her.
Mrs Hayer does not speak much English, but Debbie Hayer said her mother was distraught to find out the airline expected her husband's remains to travel in the cargo hold."I've been on the phone to Emirates the last two days non-stop and I'm still waiting for them to get back to me," Ms Hayer said.
"I rang the general number and got put through to the United States. I rang the Brisbane Airport office and they put me through to Melbourne. I'm just disgusted with the way they're behaving."
Sikh tradition says the deceased person's ashes must be transported respectfully before they are distributed in flowing water.
Emirates Airlines has refused to budge, and when contacted by The Courier-Mail would only refer to their policy which bans human remains as carry-on baggage because of the "unsuitability of these items for security inspection prior to boarding".
Debbie Hayer said she would not have booked with Emirates if she had known about its policy.
05/02/09 David Earley/Couriermail.com.au, Australia

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Categories: Foreign Feb 2009