A video of a man with a disability dragging himself down an aeroplane aisle has gone viral on social media.
A TikTok user shared a video of the incident, noting they had landed at Changi Airport through AirAsia flight QZ268 on Sept 29 from Jakarta.
The man was allegedly asked to pay S$40 for aisle wheelchair service to get out of his 3F seat to his wheelchair, which was three metres away.
“This is how AirAsia treats their paraplegic passengers,” the original poster added.
In one of the videos, the man could be seen dragging himself down the aisle while a stewardess stood nearby and tried to help him at one point.
More airline staff offered assistance in another video, with one steward attempting to lift the man to his destination.
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault,” the passenger was heard saying to the staff.
TikTok user Farizan Jaffar wondered if the mentioned S$40 fee was for wheelchair assistance upon arrival at the airport. “Aisle wheelchair is free,” she added, which others confirmed was correct.
According to the AirAsia website, there are varying wheelchair service rates depending on the departing and arrival countries.
The passenger arriving from Jakarta to Singapore would have had to pay S$11 (IDR 120,000) based on the wheelchair service onboard rate.
However, the website also states that “guests with a Disability Card or OKU Card Number will be exempted from the wheelchair fee. Once a card number has been inserted, there will be no fee displayed.”
The passenger is required to present the card upon check-in to waive the applicable fees.
According to MustShare News, AirAsia has since apologised to the passenger for the incident.
“We have procedures in place for the carriage of disabled or mobility impaired guests, including the provision of an aisle wheelchair, which is highlighted during the booking process and can be booked in advance at the time of booking to ensure a smooth experience,” said AirAsia’s Chief Airport and Customer Experience Officer.
The airline also said it would ensure such incidents don’t happen again./TISG
@keliateva we landed at changi airport with airasia QZ268 from Jakarta in Sept 29, 2022 and asked to pay $40 for aisle wheelchair just to get out from the 3F seat to his wheelchair which is 3 meters away. this is how airasia treats their paraplegic passangers #airasia #tonyfernandes
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