Ryanair leaves a disabled woman on the ground in Bergamo

For years, confined to a wheelchair, she was unable to take her flight from Orio al Serio (Bergamo) to Bordeaux and had to stay on the ground. the stimulus? The battery of her electric wheelchair “has the allowable voltage that cannot be transported because it has an e-bike sticker”: Valeria Roberta Vetrano wrote on her Instagram page, attacking Ryanair who refused her last Monday at check-in.

left on foot

“I was told the battery was not original,” he writes, “they claim I would have assembled the car (huh?! Part on the floor (called Stricker), if I wanted to leave (note to reader: these vehicles do not work as a manual wheelchair if the front part is detached) , In short, Ryanair has the solution to everything: leave the stroller, and go walking! What a good idea!!! Because I hadn’t thought of that before?!? Vetrano also denounced that “helping the disabled disappears after ten minutes and leaves me hanging” and adds that “what was always a good routine, traveling and seeing my friends, has become an inaccessible task (thanks Ryanair)”.

Note Ryanair

However, Ryanair explained in an official memo that “assistance staff refused to travel the passenger because she did not provide her wheelchair specification prior to the flight. To ensure that passengers traveling in a wheelchair actually arrive, it is necessary to fill out that wheelchair in the appropriate online form prior to the flight.” Regrets Ryanair because the passenger was unable to travel: She will be re-accomodated on an alternative flight.” keepers, The company that manages Bergamo airport explained that upon arrival at 20.30 on December 5, upon check-in, the staff made sure that Vetrano had not filled out the appropriate online form before the flight, which Ryanair had requested.He asked her to “and” documents proving the power of the lithium battery in the wheelchair. So it turns out that, against the maximum allowable 300Wh, you had 522Wh of power. The nameplate on the wheelchair battery instead indicated 300Wh, inconsistent with the supporting documentation shown by the lady – Sacbo concludes. The discrepancy in the energy data of the lithium battery created boarding issues.” Reasons were not enough for ENAC.

ENAC comment

Reasons that were not sufficient for ENAC. “Unfortunately, we still have to register the case of denying passengers with reduced mobility from boarding – Enac President Pierluigi Di Palma commented – as soon as we heard about it, we immediately intervened, urging the airport managers to ensure full protection with the Passenger Rights Act ” . “Concerning the specific case of Valeria Roberta Vetrano – de Palma concludes – investigations are underway to verify the possible liability of the carrier.”