The national flag carrier Finnair discriminated against a physically challenged passenger by asking to buy three tickets to fly, reported the national broadcaster Yle quoting the news agency STT.

The non-discrimination ombudsman made the information public following a complaint saying that the Finnair failed to provide the disabled passenger with a seat at a reasonable price.

The passenger’s legs were fitted with braces making the person unable to bend into a seating position, said the report.

The Finnair authorities, however, said the passenger needed to buy three seats, each priced at normal fare, in order to fit in the aircraft.

Finnair told the ombudsman’s office that the airlines authorities preserved the right to autonomously decide the price and it regularly offers tickets to physically-challenged passengers at reduced rates.

The ombudsman in the ruling said the abilities of both the parties to financially cope with the loss of the price of the seat tickets have been considered. The ombudsman also mentioned that Finnair is a large, state-owned company with a significant turnover.

The non-discrimination ombudsman is an autonomous, independent authority designed to promote equality and prevent discrimination.