‘I felt like a criminal when I wasn’t allowed on plane’
Corina Duyn says she was banned at the last minute from boarding an Aer Arann flight, despite having informed the airline about her travelling arrangements a week ahead of flying.
The west Waterford resident has lived with ME, a disabling neurological disease, for 11 years.
Ms Duyn said being stopped at the departure gate, and prevented from leaving, was “totally unacceptable”.
“To be singled out from other passengers and not being allowed to board the plane felt like a violation of my rights as a person with a disability to travel abroad.
“It also was extremely hurtful to have other passengers stare at me. I felt like a criminal.”
The incident occurred on Wednesday as she was preparing to fly from Cork to Edinburgh.
Ms Duyn, an artist and writer from Lismore, was due to promote a new novel at the Scottish city’s book festival.
In advance of her trip, she notified Aer Arann about her wheelchair use and specifically about the battery which powers her mobility scooter.
“As I am a person with reduced mobility, I contacted Aer Arann a week before departure to discuss my requirements. I told the contact person that I am using a mobility scooter and discussed the battery type.”
On arrival at Cork airport, she was allowed to proceed through check-in and security. But after Aer Arann made one final check, Ms Duyn was at the last minute prevented from boarding.
“I find it totally unacceptable that I was refused to board the plane,” she said.
Aer Arann said yesterday it was taking her complaint “very seriously”.
A spokesman said: “We will investigate it fully – that’s as much as we can say. It may take a few days. We don’t know what went wrong.”
The airline said it does not allow wet cell batteries on board flights for safety reasons. However, Ms Duyn says her wheelchair battery is classified as a wet non-spillable type and is permitted on other planes.
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