Wheelchair user ‘booted off’ Virgin Australia flight after dispute over storage of mobility aid

A disability advocate and travel blogger has been “kicked off” a Virgin flight after a dispute about where a battery-powered mobility aid for his wheelchair would be stored.

South Australian man Shane Hryhorec , who lives with a disability, was preparing to head home from Sydney when a 20 minute battle with crew left him “embarrassed”, “angry” and ultimately sitting with his service dog in the airport waiting hours for another plane.

“I felt like a burden and (the airline) made me feel like a burden,” the 41-year-old told 7NEWS.com.au.

“It was just ... so undignifying as well, and it just truly makes you feel disabled.”

The Port Adelaide local is a C5 incomplete quadriplegic and has paralysis affecting his legs, torso and hand function.

Hryhorec said the problem on Monday stemmed from a battery-powered motorised SmartDrive wheel used to propel his wheelchair, and the row three seat Virgin had allocated to him.

He said the device could not go safely under the seat in front because its omni-directional rollers meant it would move around during the flight, and because the design of business class in the row ahead left little room.

“My service dog was in the window seat taking up the entire floor section,” he said.

“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.

“So the airline was instructing me to either put it under the seat in front of me, which is literally not possible, or I had to get off the plane.”

New regulations regarding the storage of lithium-ion batteries meant the SmartDrive had to be easily accessible in the cabin and could not be stored with his check-in or in the overhead lockers where he usually keeps it.

“One of the flight attendants was actually really lovely and she was trying to workshop ideas to make this work,” Hryhorec said.

“One of the ideas that she came up with was actually just to put it in the footrest of an empty seat at the back of the plane.

“Then that was overruled by another staff member who said that’s not possible (and it has to stay with me).”