Wheelchair user Shane Hryhorec was removed from a Virgin Australia flight home after an 'undignified' confrontation with airline staff over his wheelchair aid. The 41-year-old activist and travel blogger was preparing to fly from Sydney to Adelaide when new restrictions on lithium-ion batteries meant his battery-powered SmartDrive device could no longer be placed in overhead storage and had to be placed by his feet.
No Safe Place for Device
Hryhorec, a C5 incomplete quadriplegic with paralysis in his legs and torso, uses the SmartDrive to push his wheelchair without assistance. However, the middle seat he was allocated had no underseat storage, blocked by the business class seat in front, and his service dog occupied the neighbouring footwell. 'There was a barrier in front of me, which meant there was absolutely nowhere for a SmartDrive or a bag to go, and then in the (aisle) seat next to me was a passenger,' he told 7News.
The SmartDrive has omnidirectional wheels, so it would not have stayed in place during the flight and could have hit his dog. Hryhorec said the airline instructed him to either put it under the seat in front, which was 'literally not possible', or get off the plane.
Confrontation Caught on Video
In a TikTok video viewed over 8 million times, Hryhorec, who runs charity Accessible Beaches Australia, documented the clash. He told staff he had flown three times in the last four days without issues, but one attendant replied, 'They've done the wrong thing then, just to accommodate you.' The customer experience manager, Jenna, said, 'It's your battery sir, it needs to go under your seat.'
After a 20-minute back-and-forth, Hryhorec was removed from the plane in front of other passengers, which he called 'embarrassing' and 'upsetting'. He was put on a later flight with the SmartDrive placed in a bag in an empty neighbouring footwell.
Airline Responds
Virgin Australia released a statement confirming it was aware of the incident. A spokesperson said: 'Virgin Australia remains committed to providing an accessible and inclusive travel experience for all our guests. While the safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority, we are reviewing the circumstances of yesterday's experience to understand whether there are opportunities to better identify specific seating or stowage requirements in advance and how our teams can support guests in similar circumstances. We have reached out to Mr Hryhorec to find out more about his experience and we are reviewing the circumstances that led to this unfortunate outcome for one of our guests.'
Hryhorec has not commented publicly since but said he was considering reaching out to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
