Ryanair in trouble over wheelchair charges
Ryanair is facing a discrimination lawsuit for charging disabled travellers to use its wheelchairs.
The action has been brought by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), which alleges that the £18 charge contravenes the Disability Discrimination Act. The act states that it is unlawful to treat disabled people less favourably than other people for a reason related to their disability.
A spokesperson for Ryanair told TravelMole: “Passengers that require a wheelchair are directed to a wheelchair service provider, and a fee is paid directly from the passenger to this provider, not to Ryanair”. The spokesperson couldn’t explain why other carriers at Stansted provided a wheelchair free of charge, but added that Ryanair believes that the airport authority should be responsible for providing wheelchairs beyond check-in.
BAA, which operates the airport, will also face the charges. A BAA spokesperson said: “We are surprised to have been included in the action. We do not charge disabled passengers for assistance they may require to get into the airport and up to the check-in desk, from where it is the airline’s responsibility”.
The DRC is acting on behalf of disabled passenger Bob Ross, who suffers from cerebral palsy and arthritis. Mr Ross said: “Unlike other airlines, I get charged £18 each way by Ryanair for the right to access the airport’s wheelchairs. A return flight with Ryanair from Stansted, costs me £36 more than other passengers”. Neither Buzz nor Go charge for use of wheelchairs at Stansted.
DRC chairman Bert Massie said: “They [Ryanair] can announce a 68% jump in profit, but they won’t make a comparatively tiny outlay to provide a basic service to disabled people. All other airlines, including budget and charter airlines, provide this service automatically”.
It would be difficult for Ryanair to justify charging for wheelchairs as a necessary cost cutting measure. In what has been a period of economic slow-down for most airlines, Ryanair has bucked the trend. The no-frills airline today announced a 37% increase in passenger numbers for August when compared to the same period last year. DRC’s Mr Massie refers to the 68% increase in Q1 profits announced by Ryanair on 6 August.
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