Jetstar under fire after wheelchair-bound woman with disability forced to crawl off flight

Natalie Curtis was forced to crawl on the plane after Jetstar failed to provide a wheelchair. Photo / Sunrise

A Queensland woman was about to leave her flight when she said she was humiliated by Jetstar staff who couldn’t provide a wheelchair for her to get off the plane.

Natalie Curtis, who has been in a wheelchair since high school, said she had never been as humiliated after being forced to crawl on the ground to her own wheelchair.

Curtis said she was offered a standard “aisle” wheelchair to board her flight from Singapore to Bangkok but when she landed was told she would have to pay to use another chair to get off the plane.

“I didn’t really comprehend it and I was like, ‘No, I’m not paying to be able to get off this plane’,” Curtis told Sunrise on Monday.

Her friend Natasha Elford had a knee injury and was unable to carry her off the plane.

Curtis said the only option left was to crawl on the floor for eight rows until she could reach her own wheelchair.

Natalie Curtis was forced to crawl on the plane after Jetstar failed to provide a wheelchair. Photo / Sunrise

“It was extremely humiliating,” she said.

Elford said she was in shock watching the ordeal unfold.

“My first instinct was I was pretty much gutted, I was like, ‘Is this actually happening’?” she told Sunrise.

“I couldn’t physically lift her so I felt really hopeless and I couldn’t believe this was really happening.”

Elford said she tried to find out if it was possible to fast track a wheelchair to Curtis, but the flight attendants “didn’t really try do anything”.

Natalie Curtis was travelling with her friend Natasha Elford when the incident happened. Photo / Sunrise

The budget airline has endured months of criticism over widespread flight cancellations, delays and staff shortages.

A Jetstar spokesperson said the airline had sincerely apologised to Curtis for her experience and had since offered her a refund and additional compensation.

“We unreservedly apologise to Curtis for her recent experience while travelling with us,” they said.

“We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all our customers, including those requiring specific assistance.”

The spokesperson said Jetstar staff did not charge for using a wheelchair and inquiries into the incident had revealed that a language barrier led to the miscommunication of a fee.

“We are looking into what happened as a matter of urgency,” they said.

Curtis said the airline needed to do more to ensure this didn’t happen again.