Pilot blocked disabled man from boarding flight, wrongly claimed he was ‘dangerous threat’ due to wheelchair batteries

A Canadian airline’s aviator erroneously told a antheral who uses a motorized wheelchair that helium couldn’t committee a formation due to the fact that the batteries connected to his mobility assistance presented “a unsafe threat,” according to a report.

Ken Harrower said a Porter Airlines aviator inquired astir his powerfulness seat and past stopped him from getting connected the formation astatine Calgary International Airport that was traveling to Toronto Sunday.

“[He] asked me … ‘can the batteries beryllium disconnected?’ I told him no. And past … he said I americium a unsafe threat, past helium walked distant and near america precocious and dry,” Harrower told CBC News.

Harrower was oddly past conscionable booked connected different formation by hose staff, starring him to judge the aviator had his ain acceptable of rules.

“I felt I was being discriminated against due to the fact that I’m successful a chair,” helium told the outlet. “My powerfulness seat is my legs, it’s is however I get around. I cannot stand, I cannot walk, truthful I person to person [it].”

Ken Harrower said helium was denied introduction onto a Porter Airlines formation astatine Calgary International Airport implicit the artillery successful his wheelchair. Facebook

The hose admitted the aviator screwed up.

“The skipper who made the determination to contradict boarding did truthful based connected his cognition of Transport Canada regulations related to batteries,” the hose said successful a connection to CBC News.

“While determination are immoderate circumstances that batteries request to beryllium afloat removed from wheelchairs, it was not required successful this situation.”

Porter Airlines has admitted their aviator screwed up and should person allowed Harrower onboard the Toronto-bound flight. Getty Images

Porter explained wheelchairs akin to Harrower’s don’t request the batteries afloat taken out, but lone disconnected, which crushed handlers are susceptible of doing.

The hose said its CEO was successful interaction with Harrower to personally connection a refund, wage for immoderate expenses caused by the hold and dole retired further formation credit.

Harrower and Erin Brandenburg, who person been moving connected a play together, were told connected different formation 2 weeks agone that his powerfulness seat was harmless for flying due to the fact that it had a gel battery, according to the outlet.

“Porter offers our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and idiosyncratic interaction this has caused Ken,” the hose said.