Local airline Fly Namibia says it regrets the emotional distress suffered by Elizabeth Andgondji, whom the airline denied service due to her disability.

The airline says that passengers with special needs are required to make bookings 72 hours in advance and that Andgondji's booking was made at the 11th hour.

The airline further says that the booking agents issued the Miss Ability title holder without disclosing her condition to the airline, which led to the subsequent refusal by the airline to fly her to the north.

The pilot-in-command must be informed beforehand when a passenger with reduced mobility is on a flight, the airline states.

The airline also says that its current fleet does not have the machinery to aid wheelchair-bound people and that a wheelchair can block the narrow aisles of the aircraft.

Fly Namibia's managing director has since issued a personal apology to Elizabeth Andgondji.