Melbourne, Australia
— QANTAS has come under fire for ordering
disabled passengers out of wheelchairs.
A woman in her 70s recovering from surgery was refused
a wheelchair to get from a car to a Melbourne Airport
terminal.
Aided by family members it took her 10 minutes to walk
50 paces inside.
The airline refused to let another wheelchair-using
woman in her 60s take a Qantas wheelchair outside the
terminal.
After the incidents were revealed Qantas said it had
apologised to the victims and was changing its policy.
But victims said there had been no apology.
"The policy is intended to be flexible and while we
regret any inconvenience or distress we will now make it
clear wheelchairs can be taken to and from the curb,"
Qantas spokeswoman Belinda de Rome said.
Ms De Rome said wheelchairs had been lost, damaged or
stolen outside the terminal.
But families of victims were still angry.
"The Qantas guy said to (dad), 'We don't provide
wheelchairs outside the front door of the terminal, and
if she needs a wheelchair -- if she's that sick -- she
should have her own wheelchair'," said Michael Lewis, the
son of the woman in her 70s.
Mr Lewis said Qantas officials told him it was a
strict new policy: the company was concerned about
liability involving chairs outside the terminal.
The incidents follow community outrage when two
disabled brothers were ordered out of wheelchairs at
Westfield Fountain Gate.
One was forced to crawl to his car.
Qantas has angered disabled groups by refusing to
carry electric wheelchairs on some flights from this
month.
It refused to say if it would give to charity as
Westfield Fountain Gate had done.
