Saga Of Two Nurses - American Airline Denies Racist Charge

Accra (GAR), June 25, - American Airlines has said its investigations into the maltreatment of two Ghanaian nurses at Gatwick Airport in London on June 14 showed that ''discrimination played no part.'' However, the Ghana High Commission in London has requested a clearer statement from the airline on what actually happened when two executive members of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association were prevented from boarding the American Airline flight to Vancouver, Canada. An American Airline official at Gatwick had told the nurses that they could only board the flight if they used deodorant or showered. A statement from the Ghana High Commission quoted Ms M. Wakelin, Consumer Relations Executive of American Airlines in Charge of U.K and Ireland, as saying they viewed the allegations as serious and have ''conducted a full investigation into the events surrounding the situation.'' Ms Wakelin said they have forwarded a copy of a petition submitted to the High Commission by the nurses to the airline's General Manager at Gatwick airport ''so that they may be reviewed with the personnel concerned to ensure an understanding of how certain words may be misinterpreted.'' In its reaction, the High Commission expressed concern that the two nurses were left stranded at the airport by staff of the airline ''when a little more effort to alleviate their plight would not have been out of place.'' The two nurses have since returned home.