A wheelchair-bound passenger alleged he had to drag himself off an Air Canada plane because he was not assisted. Canadian officials are investigating.
In August, Rodney and Deanna Hodgins, a Canadian couple, reported that the incident occurred during their flight from Vancouver to Las Vegas. Ms. Hodgins accuses the airline of failing her spouse "in every way."
Ms. Hodgins reported that Air Canada crew did not offer assistance for her spouse, who has spastic cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair, to deplane.
Typically, airlines provide an aisle chair to assist passengers with limited mobility in safely exiting the aircraft after all other passengers have departed.
Ms. Hodgins, however, stated that no such assistance was provided and that a crew member told the couple that Mr. Hodgins would need to make his way to the front of the aircraft on his own.
Ms. Hodgins reported that the crew made it very clear that they wanted them off the plane because they had to make a U-turn. They thought it was a joke at first, but were later astounded, according to her.
Ms. Hodgins reported that the crew made it very clear that they wanted them off the plane because they had to make a U-turn.
They thought it was a joke at first, but were later astounded, according to her. She added that her spouse was in excruciating pain for several days while they were in Las Vegas. The couple had travelled there to commemorate their first wedding anniversary.
Ms. Hodgins stated that the airline has since apologized to the couple for the incident, which has been extensively reported in Canadian media. "An apology is great and we do appreciate that," she stated, however she added that "Rodney really wants change, so it's not over for him, and it's certainly not over for us." "We just want to make sure that this really never happens again."
According to sources, Air Canada said it employs a third-party wheelchair assistance specialist in Las Vegas.
The airline mentioned that following their investigation into how this serious service lapse occurred, they will be evaluating other Mobility Assistance service partners in Las Vegas.
It stipulated that airlines must aid passengers with limited mobility during boarding and deplaning. Ms. Hodgins stated that her husband's rights were violated as a result of the incident.
Rodney is the most beautiful human on the planet, and he did not deserve this at all said Ms. Hodgins and having said that, she continued saying that she was grateful for the outpouring of support from fellow Canadians ever since their tale became public.
Accessibility advocates have long advocated for more accommodating travel regulations for people who use wheelchairs or require other assistance, such as allowing them to sit in their own chair during flights.
Others have criticized airlines for their careless treatment of wheelchairs, with some being damaged during travel.
In January, the most recent month for which data is available, airlines improperly handled 871 wheelchairs and scooters, or 1.6 per 100.
