Air Canada has been fined $97,500 by the Canadian Transportation Agency for several violations under the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.
This comes after a Prince George couple’s travel horror story made international headlines.
On August 30th, Rodney Hodgins, who uses a wheelchair, was forced to use his upper body strength to drag himself 12 rows down an airplane aisle in Las Vegas.
Rodney has spastic cerebral palsy, which means his muscles tense up and have a lack of movement… and his legs can’t bend as well as someone else.
Hodgins said no one from Air Canada’s third-party personnel was there to help him get off the plane with the aid of a wheelchair.
Rodney and his wife Deanna were seated in the 12th row of Air Canada flight AO 1058 from Vancouver to Vegas on that day (August 30th).
The agency stated Air Canada failed to assist a wheelchair user to disembark the aircraft – in addition, the organization noted the airline failed to ensure their personnel periodically inquired about his needs.
Air Canada acknowledged it violated Canadian disability regulations and called the ordeal an “inconvenient and humiliating experience” after issuing an apology to the couple.
Air Canada has 30 days to request a review before the Transport Appeal Tribunal of Canada.
In addition, Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer also put the airline on blast after her wheelchair was left behind in Toronto while she was flying to Vancouver.
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