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EasyJet brands disabled passenger 'safety risk'
Marie-Patricia Hoarau, 39, who uses a wheelchair, was told she could not fly on the plane from Paris to Nice because she was a "safety risk".
Miss Hoarau, a paraplegic since a cycling accident 19 years ago, said she was allowed to travel unaccompanied on the outbound flight with the British low cost airline.
However, when she boarded the plane in Paris to fly home, she was sent back to check-in because she did not have a helper.
A fellow passenger offered to take on the role, but cabin crew refused because they had not boarded at the same time.
She was taken off the plane and given a free ticket on the next flight, while check-in staff found another passenger willing to accompany her.
easyJet said in a statement: "The pilot took the decision to take her off the plane because he considered that her presence presented a safety risk."
The airline said its policy was that disabled passengers must be accompanied so that in the event of an emergency, they can be evacuated from the plane as quickly as able-bodied travellers.
Miss Hoarau has now asked France's government anti-discrimination body to take up her case and is considering legal action.
She said: "I am still waiting for a personal apology from easyJet.
"Their boss said he was sorry for my unpleasant experience, but only in a press release. I've received no phone call from them."
Dominique Bussereau, the French Transport Minister, said he had also demanded a full explanation from the British low-cost airline, and had asked British Transport Minister Lord Adonis to investigate further.
Meanwhile, hundreds of disabled people protested in Paris on Saturday for more help from the government, saying their £580 monthly benefits put them below the poverty line.
(2010-03-30 / Telegraph)
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