Emirates airline being sued by disgruntled flyer for being made to sit next to 'obese' co-passenger

The Emirates airline is being sued by a disgruntled Italian lawyer, also a "gold member" flyer with the airline, for extreme discomfort that was caused to him for being seated next to an "obese man" during a nine-hour long commute.

Giorgio Destro, resident of Padua, Italy, decided to sue Emirates airlines for the 'suffering' he had to endure on his flight from Cape Town to Dubai. He had reportedly requested to change seats, but the flight was filled to its capacity, and his request was turned down, reported Il Mattino di Padova.

Reports suggest that Destro is claiming €2,759 - €759 as a refund for the flight, and the rest as compensation for damages.

Destro is armed with a picture from the flight that he plans to use as evidence of his discomfort during the hearing that is scheduled to take place on 20 October in Padua.

"For nine hours, I had to stand in the aisle, sit on seats reserved for the cabin crew when they were free, and in the final phase of flight resign myself to suffer the 'spillover' of the passenger at my side," Destro was quoted to have said in an IBTimes report.

"Emirates is unable to comment on this particular case as it is an ongoing legal matter," a spokesperson for Emirates told MailOnline Travel.