The Canadian Transportation Agency has handed Air Canada a fine of $97,500 after a passenger who uses a wheelchair was made to drag himself off a plane in Las Vegas.
In a statement, the CTA said the airline must pay for “several violations of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.”
On Aug. 20, Prince George, B.C., resident Rodney Hodgins, who has spastic cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair, was told by Air Canada crew in Las Vegas that no assistance was available to help him off the plane.
Hodgins lifted himself down to the floor and used his arms to drag himself from Row 12 to the front of the plane, as his wife crawled behind him to help.
“Air Canada failed to assist a wheelchair user to disembark its aircraft,” the CTA statement said “… In addition, while the passenger was waiting in the terminal, Air Canada failed to ensure that their personnel periodically inquired about his needs.”
In November, following a CBC News story about the incident, Air Canada was summoned to Ottawa for a meeting with the Minister of Transportation. Air Canada apologized and said it would make a number of changes internally to improve the way it treats passengers with disabilities.