Wheelchair Lift Wasn't Available

A British man says he was forced to carry his disabled wife up the airstairs for a Ryanair flight last month from Luton to Brest, France. It was either that, or they'd miss the plane.

Paul Heath told the Daily Mail that he made arrangements for Ryanair to have a wheelchair lift in place on the ground at Luton, where Ryanair boards its planes via airstairs, not jetways. But the airport's "Ambulift" didn't arrive in time for the couple's June 21 flight, and Ryanair workers told Heath it was the airline's policy to leave passengers behind who couldn't board themselves.

Citing liability concerns, the airline staff also refused to carry Jo Heath, Paul's wife, onboard the plane. So Paul carried his wife up the airstairs.

"It was quite a dangerous thing for Paul to attempt," Jo Heath told the London tabloid. "If he had slipped over or dropped me God knows who would have helped us out. I was scared and very embarrassed by it and you could see other passengers were starting to get a bit ratty. I had done everything I needed to for Ryanair to get me on the plane.

"They failed in their duty of care for a customer," Heath added.

Paul Heath said Ryanair's abandonment policy smacks of discrimination towards the disabled.

"My main gripe is that Ryanair will just leave without you because they consider you an annoyance," he said. "I accept being treated like cattle, being barged about and having no facilities when you fly with them because it's cheap. But I don't accept not being allowed on a flight that you’ve already paid for.

"I’m sure refusing to help a disabled person like this is illegal under the Disability and Discrimination Act," he said, adding the staff's refusal to help carry Jo onboard was "ridiculous."

Ryanair spokesman Daniel de Carvalho blamed Servisair, the company that handles ground duties for Ryanair at Luton. "The provider at Luton airport did not have sufficient staff available to provide assistance," he said.

The Heaths received letters of apology from both Servisair and the airline. Ryanair's apology included a voucher for £100... which, as those familiar with Ryanair's ultra-low-cost service know, is a fairly rare concession.

Paul Heath says that voucher is tantamount to an admission of responsibility on Ryanair's part, however.

FMI: www.ryanair.com