2 travelers in wheelchairs watched as their plane departed without them after an error saw them left waiting on the tarmac

Pete Syme
·2 min read
2
2 travelers in wheelchairs watched as their plane departed without them after an error saw them left waiting on the tarmac

  • Three people were left on the tarmac as their plane took off without them, the Washington Post reported.

  • Liz Weir, an author who uses a wheelchair, said the plane left with her luggage on board.

  • She couldn't get another flight until nearly eight hours later, and missed a speaking event.

Two people in wheelchairs were left on the airport tarmac as their flight took off without them, The Washington Post reported.

Liz Weir, an author from Northern Ireland, was due to fly from Belfast to Edinburgh with easyJet last month. She told the Post she arrived several hours early for the 30-minute flight — anxious not to miss an event she was due to speak at.

Weir, who uses a wheelchair due to a heart condition, was wheeled from the gate to the tarmac by airport staff, the Post reported. There was also another passenger in a wheelchair who was with their husband.

As they reached the tarmac, the jet stairs were taken away. The passengers and staff tried to wave to get the pilots' attention, but the plane taxied away and took off.

"You always say, 'Oh, they won't go without us,' but they actually did. They went without us and took my luggage as well," Weir told the BBC.

"I would obviously like some sort of compensation; I lost earnings last night, there's appointments there, the damage to my reputation is there," she added.

"But it's more an important point that needs to be stressed that they need to be taking better care of people with mobility issues."

Having missed her flight, the next available tickets were for a flight eight hours later, the BBC reported. Weir told the outlet she didn't arrive in Edinburgh until 11 p.m.

Once there, she was able to retrieve her suitcase that had taken off on the earlier flight.

A spokesperson for Belfast International Airport said it was a situation for the airline to comment on.

easyJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In a statement shared with the Post, the airline said there was a "misunderstanding by our ground handling team and crew on board."

It added that "we are sorry for the impact this disruption will have had" and said it will provide compensation.

Read the original article on Business Insider