Three passengers, two of which test positive for HIV, were denied boarding on a Spring Airlines flight at Shenyang Airport, and now a court has accepted to hear their case.

The passengers were denied boarding on July 28 for a flight from Shenyang to Shijiazhuang. Afterward, they filed to sue Spring Airlines for discrimination, and a court in Shenyang agreed on Friday to hear the complaint, BBC News reports.

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The passengers had received their boarding passes, afterward telling a Spring Airlines employee that two of them are HIV positive.

The employee called the head office in Shanghai to ask for instructions, and then told the passengers that the airline cannot carry anyone with HIV.

Spring Airlines president Wang Zhenghua said to the news agency AFP that the airline does not discriminate against passengers with HIV and blamed the incident on worried personnel at the scene.

He also warned that passengers with HIV should keep a low profile concerning their condition to avoid scaring other passengers.

The plaintiffs are suing for 48,999 yuan, or about $8,000, and demand an apology from the airline, The Global Times reports.

HIV discrimination persists in China. Last year the government proposed banning those with HIV from public bath houses, but it was met with criticism and shot down. China only lifted a ban preventing HIV positive foreigners from entering the country in 2010.

The Spring Airlines website used to notify passengers that the airline could deny boarding to those with infectious diseases, but it was removed on Aug 5, The Global Times reports.

TagsSpring Airlines, HIV, discrimination