He said he had seen Frontier flights where 20 people were brought onto the plane in wheelchairs, but only three wheelchairs were used upon arrival.
“We heal so many people,” he joked.
Biffle wasn’t talking about travelers’ personal wheelchairs, but rather the services airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport.
It costs the airline $30 to $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and overuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a real need for assistance.
“Everyone who needs it should get it, but if you park in a handicapped spot, they will tow your car and fine you,” he told CNBC. “There should be the same penalty for abuse of these services.”
Biffle is not the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need a wheelchair at the airport.
In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, then chief executive of London’s Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio, amid a staff shortage, that some travelers were “using a wheelchair to try to get through quickly through the airport.
“If you go on TikTok, that’s one of the travel hacks that people recommend,” he said. “Please don’t do this. We need to protect the service for the people who need it most.”
John Morris, a triple amputee who founded WheelchairTravel.org, said there are reasons why some travelers may need wheelchairs on the way out, but not on arrival. For example, they might need help getting through a large airport like Atlanta or New York, but not smaller ones.
“Disability affects people in different ways,” he said.
“I think there are good reasons to argue that abusers should face consequences, but I don’t know how we can achieve that in a society where our disabilities are not (always) visible,” he said. he declared.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Transport proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing damage to wheelchairs caused by airport ground staff and ensuring “prompt assistance” to disabled travelers when boarding and departing. the descent of the plane.
News Source : www.cnbc.com
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