"Behaved rudely and disrespectfully": Young athletes from Aktau reported misconduct by FlyArystan staff.

According to the publication, the parents of young gymnasts reported that a team of athletes aged 6 to 11 participated in competitions in Astana. Among them are champions of Kazakhstan and the CIS countries.

"Our girls are a pride not only for the Mangistau region but for the entire country. However, a very unpleasant incident occurred at Astana airport. The team of 21 children, accompanied by a coach and three parents, faced outrageous treatment from the airline FlyArystan," one of the parents shared.

According to the parents, all passengers completed online check-in, and the children had carry-on luggage in the form of small suitcases containing sports equipment and gifts from the competition. Despite this, at the check-in desk, they were forced to print boarding passes, being charged 500 tenge for each.

"During check-in, the airline staff behaved extremely rudely and were constantly disrespectful. But the most shocking part came later. After passing through security, while boarding, we were selectively searched, our luggage was weighed, and the children were yelled at, being told they were supposedly late and would be left in Astana. We were at the check-in counter by 22:00, while the flight was scheduled for 23:25. The kids started to panic and cry," the parents noted.

The parents described the nightmare the young athletes experienced at the airport.

"They literally tormented our children until the last moment. When we stated that we would complain to higher authorities, we were openly told: 'You can call the president; we don’t care.' We barely made it onto the flight, but even there, the crew's attitude did not change. The flight attendants were disrespectful, making comments like: 'Your actions are delaying the flight. Can we move faster?' Instead of helping the children with their carry-on luggage, they just stood by and watched as the little ones struggled on their own," the publication quoted the parents.

Parents also noted the questionable actions of the airline staff during baggage control. They stated that during the control process, there was no way to determine the exact weight of the carry-on bags as there were no scales available. However, at the last checkpoint before boarding, the FlyArystan employees unexpectedly set up their own scales, along with a Kaspi terminal for instant payment of excess baggage fees.

The FlyArystan press service informed the publication that the airline staff acted in accordance with established rules.

"Before check-in, one of the accompanying passengers approached the staff with questions about the procedure for boarding the group of children. He was informed that check-in had not yet opened and was advised to arrive 1.5 hours before the flight for carry-on inspection. The man mentioned that not all passengers had boarding passes. The airline staff explained to him that if online check-in was completed, children would receive free assistance in printing boarding passes."

"Despite the information provided, the group later approached the iJan terminals and printed the boarding passes themselves. The boarding pass printing service is a paid service according to the low-cost carrier's rules; however, having an electronic boarding pass on a mobile device is sufficient for boarding, which eliminates the need to print a ticket," the airline stated.

They also noted that passengers were provided with information in advance regarding the rules for carrying carry-on luggage and weight restrictions.

"According to the rules, each passenger is allowed to carry one piece of carry-on luggage weighing up to 5 kg and with dimensions not exceeding 56×23×36 cm, which must be stored in the overhead compartment or under the seat. Control can be conducted either at the check-in desk or before boarding. If the limit is exceeded, passengers can pay for additional baggage or redistribute their belongings," the FlyArystan press service noted.

According to the airline, the reason for the additional checks before boarding was the unmarked carry-on luggage of the athletes.

"During the inspection, two passengers were found to have significant excess baggage. All scales used during the inspection meet the requirements, and the staff acted in accordance with standard procedures," FlyArystan stated.

The airline also emphasized that the inspection did not reveal any instances of inappropriate behavior by staff towards passengers.