It denied the men were removed by force but defended the decision to ask them to leave the plane by the aircraft’s crew as “entirely based on safety considerations”.

The incident happened at around 2.55pm on May 22, when Andy Chui Man-chun, 34, and John Li Chun-yin, 27, boarded an HK Express service to Tokyo.

They had earlier notified the airline about their disability and gone through check-in without problems.

They were escorted to the boarding gate and briefed on safety procedures by crew members.

But, just minutes before take-off, a crew member asked if they were accompanied by parents then asked them to get off the flight for “safety reasons”.

“We were told we couldn’t take the flight because we did not meet the safety standards,” Chui said. “The crew member told us the order had been given by the pilot.”

The pair, confused by the request, said they tried to reason with the cabin crew member, but he pulled Li’s arm and dragged him off the plane, forcing Chui to follow.

Li and Chui added that other passengers were puzzled by the order, and asked why visually impaired people were not allowed on a regular scheduled service.

“We felt insulted and embarrassed, they were treating us as if we were criminals,” Chui said.

He added they were asked to buy tickets for another flight “operated by any other airline”.

They later contacted the Blind Union, which reached out to the Civil Aviation Department to enlist its support.

The pair boarded another HK Express flight to Tokyo at around 11pm after the department stepped in.

They were also given four meal vouchers for HK$60 (US$8) each.

Chui and Li said they were capable of following safety instructions and had travelled on flights on their own before.

They later sent emails and made phone calls to the airline to seek further explanation.

The men were told the company could not identify the crew member who removed them from the flight or who gave the order to get them off the plane.

The two said the explanations given by the company were “inconsistent”, as one customer service representative had told them they had been denied their seat on the original flight because of “overbooking”.

HK Express sent an email on Saturday after the Blind Union organised a press conference which said the pair had been removed because ground and cabin crew “could not reach a consensus” and referred the case to management for further assessment.

It remains unconfirmed whether HK Express’ email was in response to news of the press conference.

Billy Wong Chun-hang, president of the Blind Union, said it was the second complaint the organisation had received about HK Express.

The first was last year when a visually impaired customer was asked to prove her disability and travel with someone who could look after her.

The airline later apologised and provided the requested escort for boarding after the Blind Union intervened.

“We never face such issues with other airlines, only HK Express,” Wong said.

“We know the accessibility guidelines issued by the Civil Aviation Department are not legally binding, but the company should conduct a thorough investigation and give a full account of the incident.

“We also request that the department step up its monitoring efforts to ensure the airline has policies that properly respect the rights and needs of disabled people.”

HK Express commercial director Kee Keat Ong denied the airline had removed anyone by force.

“The decision made by the aircrew was entirely based on safety considerations, and the on-duty staff accompanied the two passengers as they left the cabin,” he insisted.

“We sincerely apologise for the delay and inconvenience caused to the two passengers.”

He added that the claim of “overbooking” was a “misunderstanding”, that the company did not suggest they travel on another airline at their own expense, but had arranged for them to take another flight the same day.

The company said the ground staff and aircraft crew had followed “standard safety procedures” to assess the situation but had made “differing judgments”.

It added the case had been referred to management for a decision and the extra time required meant the two were unable to travel on the original flight.

Ong said it was later confirmed that the two men could safely travel without an escort and they were rebooked on a later flight.

“We have reviewed and improved our handling procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” he added.

“HK Express reiterates that we have a stringent equal opportunity policy and are committed to providing safe air travel for passengers with different needs.”

The Civil Aviation Department said it was investigating the incident and would contact the airline.

The Equal Opportunities Commission said it could not comment on individual cases, but highlighted the “Easy-to-Read Guide for Accessible Air Travel in Hong Kong’’, which was issued in 2017.

The guide said airline operators should not refuse a reservation for a flight or decline to embark passengers with a valid ticket on the grounds of disability or reduced mobility, except where there were valid operational or safety reasons.

The Civil Aviation Department also published guidance in 2015 for airline operators on how to best help people with reduced mobility when they travelled by air.

Zhu Min, a 35-year-old blind passenger, was in 2011 denied access to a flight by ground staff at Hong Kong Airlines, who told him he could not travel alone.

He was only allowed to board after intervention by the Blind Union, the Equal Opportunities Commission, police and the Airport Authority.

The airline denied it had banned Zhu from the flight but apologised and said the incident was caused by “miscommunication”.