A 17-year-old Hobart boy was unable to disembark a Virgin flight safely after the airline's own wheelchairs would not fit down the aisle of the plane, his mum says.
Hamish Paynter was waiting to disembark a Melbourne to Gold Coast flight on Sunday when he was told the airline's aisle chair was inoperable, leaving him stuck in his seat.
Aisle chairs are supplied by airlines and used to get passengers who use a wheelchair from the check-in counter or boarding gate to their seat, but remain at the airport.
Hamish's mother Kristy Paynter said there was no issue getting him to his seat in Melbourne.
"The chair in Melbourne that they had for the aisle chair fitted, but when we got to Gold Coast the chair didn't fit," she said.
"They tried to bring one chair on, and it didn't fit. I could see the wheels either side just didn't fit. They brought another aisle chair on, and that didn't fit either."
As staff scrambled to find a solution, cabin crew for the next flight were boarding while Hamish, Ms Paynter and a carer remained on board.
"We'd been on the aircraft for half an hour since it landed, and the flight attendants for the next flight were on the plane but they couldn't fly the plane because we were still there."
Hamish suffered a serious spinal injury in 2022 during a beach trip to mark the last day of school for year 10.
He is now a quadriplegic and was travelling to Queensland to attend rehabilitation.
"We just take everything in our stride, because that's the life that we live now," Ms Paynter said.
"Sadly, it's not the first time something like this has happened and it definitely won't be the last time."
After the two different aisle chairs didn't fit, staff suggested using an on-board fold-up wheelchair to get Hamish from his seat to the front of the plane where the aisle chair could fit.
The on-board chair is a folding wheelchair that can be used in-flight if a passenger who can't walk needs to use the bathroom.
"It's not a very big chair, given it's kept on the aircraft," Ms Paynter said.
Staff planned to transfer Hamish from his seat to the on-board chair and then into an aisle chair at the front of the plane, but it would have left a gap and required Ms Paynter and a carer lifting him some distance without a chair.
Ms Paynter said staff initially advised the folding chair couldn't be taken off the plane, but ended up allowing it.
She said the staff were helpful, but the on-board chair wasn't fit for purpose for someone who is a quadriplegic.
"It's not suitable at all, it doesn't have armrests, it's not secure, it's not safe for somebody with no core [muscles]," she said.
"It was really, really hard. He can't use his legs, so his knees will always flop out.
"So I was holding his knees all the way down the ramp so he wouldn't fall or slide across."
Mum told refurbished aisles were now narrower
Ms Paynter said staff told her that since Virgin refurbished some of its planes, the aisle was slightly narrower than before, which is why some aisle chairs no longer fit.
In a statement, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline "takes its responsibilities to support guests travelling with specific needs, including mobility assistance, extremely seriously".
"Our guest relations team has reached out to our customer to provide additional information and apologise for their experience.
"We have raised this issue with our ground handler at Gold Coast Airport and are reviewing our internal processes and training."
'Blows my mind', disability advocate says
Disability Voices Tasmania executive officer Vaughn Bennison said people with a disability should expect better from airlines.
"I can't believe the indignity this person has suffered at the hands of an organisation," Mr Bennison said.
"I honestly can't believe that they renovated the aircraft to the point their own wheelchairs, which are mandated, don't fit. How ridiculous.
"That just blows my mind."
Mr Bennison, who is blind, said issues with disability access on airlines were sadly common.
"I, for example, have had issues with taking my guide dog through security," he said.
He said he had heard of wheelchairs getting damaged, electric wheelchair batteries being disconnected and people being left behind because there were no staff to help them.
"I would hesitate to say that airlines are the worst form of transport in Australia but most disabled people would probably tell you travelling by airline is a really key way to get their anxiety up," Mr Bennison said.
"You tend to face a huge loss of dignity. If you're travelling somewhere for a holiday or work you just don't need that kind of stuff."
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