Adrian Keogh from Rathdangan was recently left quite literally stranded after a Ryanair flight to Sweden had landed at Landvetter airport. Mr. Keogh travelled to Sweden to celebrate his daughters 14th Birthday. Upon arrival at Landvetter airport, he was advised that despite pre-booking a lift to assist him when exiting the plane, the assistance lift would not be available for a further hour.
He declined an offer from his brother to carry him down the steps as he felt this was too dangerous and risked his brother sustaining an injury on the steep metal steps and instead had to ‘bum shuffle’ himself down the aircraft steps.
Adrian took to his social media account to share his story: “I am as some may know a full-time wheelchair user and paid extra for special assistance to be lifted off the plane down to my wheelchair. “It’s unacceptable to expect me to crawl down the steep metal steps but on arrival I was informed that it would be at least one hour before they would have the lift available to help me off the plane so what option had I but to crawl off the plane.”
Landvetter airport, the destination airport of Mr. Keoghs flight have said they ‘deeply regret’ the experience Mr. Keogh had. They then reverted to the standard ‘unforeseen circumstances’ line.
In a statement issued to ‘Insider’, Ryanair said: “We regret that Landvetter Airport failed to provide Special Assistance to this passenger upon arrival at Landvetter on 29 Apr and we are working with Landvetter Airport to ensure this does not recur.”
This is not an isolated incident as a number of wheelchair users had reported last year that various airlines had left them in similar situations.
Commenting on the matter, Adrian said “I hope no one else has to ever be left like this again,” he said. “We are all equal people and we should be all treated likewise.”
