Virgin Australia apologises to disability advocate removed from flight over wheelchair motor
Summary
Virgin Australia apologized to Shane Hryhorec, a disability advocate, after he was removed from a flight because of issues with storing his wheelchair motor. The airline admitted it mishandled the situation and said it would learn from the experience. Hryhorec, who has quadriplegia and uses a powered wheelchair, has filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.Key Facts
- Shane Hryhorec uses a wheelchair with a power assist device called a SmartDrive.
- He was removed from a Virgin Australia flight because staff said there was no space to store his wheelchair motor under the seat.
- On previous flights, he had been allowed to put the motor in the overhead locker.
- Virgin Australia apologized and said the handling of the situation did not meet their standards.
- Hryhorec said he felt humiliated and angry about being removed from the flight.
- The incident was shared widely on social media, getting millions of views.
- Hryhorec filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- The Australian government plans to set specific disability standards for airlines and airports to reduce travel barriers.
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