Jovita Domingo attempted to board a return flight to the United States on December 5 but PAL stopped her for not carrying a portable oxygen tank for the flight, the US-based ABC7 News Bay Area reported on January 24.

Domingo has been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD and may need oxygen support while flying to San Francisco.

Instead of an oxygen tank, Domingo showed the PAL crew a medical certificate issued by her doctor indicating that she was “fit to travel” and that there is “no need for oxygen support.”

The octogenarian was booked on a December 5 flight to San Francisco after spending nearly three months with her relatives in the Philippines.

However, she was disallowed from boarding her flight by PAL after learning of her medical condition and her failure to bring a portable oxygen for her trip.

Airing its side on the issue, PAL released a statement on January 25 saying that the decision to prevent Domingo from flying “stems from a comprehensive review conducted by our aviation medic al team.”

“While we acknowledge and respect the assessments provided by her personal physicians, our medical experts - who specialize in aviation medicine, take into consideration various factors unique to air travel, including concerns over variations in cabin air pressure and oxygen levels that occur once an aircraft is airborne,” explained PAL

The airline company pointed out that a they want to ensure Domingo will have ready supply of oxygen during he flight.

“Our medical team only had Ms. Domingo’s health and well-being in mind when they concluded that she could travel safely on a flight if she has the proper medical equipment -in the form of oxygen support= on board,” PAL said.

Relatives of Domingo said she wanted to return to her family in Florida and was upset when PAL did not allow her to board.

They said the elderly Filipino-American could not afford to buy a portable oxygen tank which would cost around $3,100.

PAL addressed the situation upon learning about Domingo’s predicament in getting her own oxygen tank.

In a gesture of goodwill, the Philippines flag carrier decided to shoulder the expenses for an inflight oxygen service for Domingo and assigned an additional set to accommodate the equipment without charging her of the cost.

PAL also decided to board her on its PR104 flight from Manila to San Francisco at no extra cost to her.