RYANAIR has responded to claims by an Irish wheelchair user who claims she was asked to walk upstairs for the 'sake of easiness' after the airline failed to provide assistance to aid her aboard a flight to London.
Irish student Niamh Herbert, 19, was originally booked to travel with the airline last Thursday, however a drop-out in her group of friends meant she could travel with colleagues from the Trinity College Dublin’s Fashion Society on Friday, February 17.
Following the change in travel plans, Ms Herbert claims she called Ryanair to confirm the name change from her friend’s name to her name on Friday’s tickets.
“I assumed they’d carry over [to the changed booking] the details of my wheelchair assisted booking, but obviously not,” she told Sky News yesterday.
Ms Herbert was boarding the flight when she was asked to wait for wheelchair assistance and claims a member of ground staff asked her if she would leave her chair and walk upstairs for the 'sake of easiness.'
“I obviously look more agile than a 50 year old man with MS but it’s the same thing; stairs are impossible for me.
“After that I did get quite upset," she said.
According to Ms Herbert, the pilot of the London bound flight then called the boarding gate to address the delay.
“He said he understood the delay was due to a wheelchair user but he was no longer willing to wait.”
Ms Herbert was later flown to London on the next Ryanair flight.
A Ryanair spokesman told The Irish Post this morning that at the time of booking the flight, no wheelchair assistance was booked.
“A name change was made online at 2.39am on February 16 and no wheelchair assistance, which is provided at Dublin Airport by OCS, was booked.
"The only reason this customer did not board their original flight was because they arrived at the gate late and had not booked wheelchair assistance.
"Had they arrived at the gate on time and booked assistance, they would have travelled without issue, as they did when returning from London Stansted.”
Clare Cronin, spokeswoman for the Disability Federation of Ireland said they were "appalled" but not shocked at the airline's alleged actions.
"The Disability Federation of Ireland, DFI, are appalled but not shocked at Ryanair’s leaving wheelchair user Niamh Herbert at Dublin Airport last Friday.
"As this is an issue that crosses frontiers, DFI works through our membership of the European Disability Forum, EDF, to address the totally inadequate provisions for people with disabilities.
"DFI and the EDF believe the EU Regulation on air passengers’ rights has too many loopholes and still allows discrimination against persons with disabilities.
"Niamh Herbert’s case shows there are multiple problems for people with disabilities trying to get to A to B and live their lives."
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