'Too windy': Disabled woman not allowed to board Jetstar flight

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This was published 1 year ago

'Too windy': Disabled woman not allowed to board Jetstar flight

By Katherine Scott
Updated
Rebecca Angel was refused travel due to weather related access to the plane.

Rebecca Angel was refused travel due to weather related access to the plane.Credit: Simon Schluter

A passenger who was told she couldn't board a Jetstar flight in a wheelchair due to windy weather has criticised the airline for under-serving passengers with disabilities.

Rebecca Angel, who has used a wheelchair since age 15 due to a condition called motor and sensory neuropathy type 2, booked a three-night girls weekend to the Gold Coast with friends for August 18.

However, after arriving at Melbourne Airport, Angel was told her friends could board but she would need to be rebooked on a separate flight the following day, as the carrier's wheelchair lift couldn't operate in strong winds.

Simon Darcy, professor of social inclusion, UTS, noted "general lower levels of service provision by budget airlines".

Simon Darcy, professor of social inclusion, UTS, noted "general lower levels of service provision by budget airlines".

"This would significantly shorten my trip. I was quite blunt and said I booked a holiday with my friends and I expect to travel with my friends," Angel said, noting that she received no prior warning about the possibility of not flying.

Jetstar staff eventually rebooked Angel and companions on a flight to Brisbane later that day, but only after Angel demanded a better solution.

"If I did not repeatedly push Jetstar, my friends would have flown on the original flight and they would have simply rebooked me the next day," she said. "For an airline to not be able to board people because of wind is outrageous."

Angel said she received a call and follow-up email from Jetstar's customer care department, wanting to explain the situation.

"I wrote back and said I don't need a call, but I want to fly back with Qantas in case, god forbid, it's windy and I can't get home. They obliged," she said.

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A Jetstar spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience, citing safety concerns.

"Our team worked to quickly arrange an alternative Qantas flight to Brisbane and a taxi to the Gold Coast," the spokesperson confirmed.

Angel's case is the latest in a wave of complaints against Australian airlines and airports around disability standards, with further high-profile incidents emerging involving Australian Paralympian Karni Liddell and model Akii Ngo.

In June, Liddell slammed Jetstar after being told she couldn't take her wheelchair on a trip to Proserpine due to it containing a lithium battery, despite pre-arranging special approvals. In the previous month Ngo, while returning from Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, sustained a concussion, cracked rib and torn ligaments after being accidentally thrown out of her wheelchair by seemingly inexperienced mobility support staff.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has fielded 118 disability discrimination complaints against airlines in relation to alleged breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act since 2016. Of these, almost 30 per cent were related to wheelchair complaints; a further 30 per cent to assistance animals.

Simon Darcy, professor of social inclusion, University of Technology Sydney, said passengers with disabilities are falling through the cracks amid the current disruptions across the aviation industry, with issues emerging that were "totally foreseeable".

Despite continued hiring efforts in the aviation sector, Darcy says the loss of experienced ground staff during the pandemic is to blame in most cases.

"The airports and airlines need to lift their game through providing training for the new staff who have little to no experience, given that those who were laid off haven't returned to the airline industry," he said.

Darcy further noted "general lower levels of service provision by budget airlines", who still rely on tarmac wheelchair lifts to board passengers (in lieu of aerobridge access) and have significant caps on customers with wheelchairs per flight. Jetstar offers wheelchair assistance for a maximum of two customers per domestic flight, and up to nine per international flight.

"People with a disability have lower income, they have higher rates of unemployment – we know that through the statistics. That means they're doubly disenfranchised if they don't have access to a low-cost airline as well," said Darcy. "It also means people are pushed towards full-cost airlines, and that limits those who don't have the means."

Angel believes current policy allows budget airlines to openly discriminate against customers with disabilities, and says she's exhausted at having to "fight for basic rights".

"Why should I have to pay a premium price for Qantas or even Virgin Australia to fly in a wheelchair?" Angel said.

Federal transport minister Catherine King said continued reports of airport access assistance issues impacting Australians with disabilities "simply isn't good enough".

"Every person boarding a plane should be treated with dignity and respect, as well as being given access to the services and supports they need," said King.

Plans to reform the disability standards for accessible public transport are currently underway following consultation, with recommendations due to be presented to transport ministers in mid-2023.

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