Air Canada has apologised after a man with spastic cerebral palsy was forced to drag himself off a plane in Las Vegas when the airline failed to provide a wheelchair. Rodney Hodgins, 49, from British Columbia, was travelling with his wife Deanna to celebrate their anniversary in August.
Upon landing, a flight attendant told the couple there was no time to bring a wheelchair on board before the plane had to prepare for takeoff again. When Hodgins said he could not walk, the attendant repeated the request, leaving him to haul himself past 12 rows of seats using only his upper body strength while his wife held his legs.
In a Facebook post, Deanna Hodgins described the incident as devastating, saying her husband's human rights were trampled on. She added that the couple had planned the trip for eight months and ensured all requirements were met, but Air Canada failed them 'in every sense'.
Air Canada acknowledged the service lapse, blaming a third-party wheelchair assistance specialist in Las Vegas. The airline said it would review its mobility assistance service partners. This incident follows an October event where Air Canada lost the wheelchair of Canada's chief accessibility officer, Stephanie Cadieux.
Hodgins was offered a C$2,000 flight voucher but said compensation would not fix the problem. He hopes his experience will prevent others from facing similar treatment.
