Gauteng family sues Qatar Airways for over R2m after being denied boarding over visa typo

According to IOL, a Pretoria family has launched legal action against Qatar Airways seeking more than R2 million after they were allegedly prevented from boarding a business-class flight to Tokyo because of a typographical error on one passenger’s Japanese electronic visa.

Who is suing and what happened

The plaintiffs are named in the court papers as Barend Minnaar Hefer van der Merwe, his wife Johanna Martha van der Merwe, and their adult daughter Michelle van der Merwe. The family filed the claim in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

The family says they were refused boarding at OR Tambo International Airport for a Qatar Airways business-class flight to Tokyo, via Doha, on 14 December 2025, despite holding what they contend were valid travel documents.

Disagreement over a name typo

The central dispute concerns Barend van der Merwe’s Japanese electronic visa, which the family says spelled his middle name as “Miinnaar” instead of “Minnaar”. The family alleges they told Qatar Airways staff the error was minor and that Barend’s identity could be confirmed against the visa photograph, his South African passport, identity document and driver’s licence.

They say Qatar Airways nevertheless refused to allow the three to board, after their luggage had been checked in, and instructed them to correct the visa and rebook. The court papers say the family waited about eight hours before their baggage was returned.

Claims and losses in the court papers

In their summons the family claims R92,333.45 in quantifiable financial losses, itemised as:

• R46,599 for rebooking flights that departed three days later;
• more than R26,900 for accommodation losses; and
• almost R18,900 in cancellation fees for prepaid accommodation in Japan.

They are also seeking R2 million for alleged impairment of dignity, saying they were publicly embarrassed and humiliated and suffered emotional distress, and that Michelle, who has Aarskog syndrome, experienced heightened distress because of her disability and vulnerability.

Qatar Airways’ response

According to the family’s court papers and the airline’s plea, Qatar Airways denies liability and disputes the allegations. The airline says passengers must comply with all immigration laws and that visa details must correspond exactly with travel documents, arguing the typo rendered the visa invalid for travel to Japan.

Qatar Airways told the court its contract of carriage and the Montreal Convention allow it to cancel reservations and refuse carriage if passengers lack required documentation, and that responsibility for compliance rests with the passenger.

The airline further disputed the family’s assertion that all three were denied boarding, saying Johanna and Michelle had valid documents and were permitted to board but chose not to travel without Barend.

On the R2 million dignity claim, Qatar Airways argued that the Montreal Convention provides the exclusive legal framework for claims arising from international air carriage and that any damages claim must meet the Convention’s conditions and liability limits, excluding the family’s delictual claim.

Legal arguments from the family

The family says the impairment of dignity claim should be assessed under South African common law, informed by the constitutional right to human dignity. They argue the Montreal Convention does not provide a remedy for impairment of dignity arising before embarkation and that they may pursue a common-law claim.

What IOL reports

According to IOL, the details above are taken from the family’s summons and Qatar Airways’ plea filed in the South Gauteng High Court.