Wheelchair user left to crawl off delayed Ryanair plane

The Ryanair passenger crawled off the aircraft after wheelchair assistance was delayed. Photo / Karl Kohler; Instagram, adriankeogh39

A Ryanair passenger was left to crawl down the steps of a Ryanair plane after being told wheelchair assistance was delayed more than an hour.

Adrian Keogh, from Ireland, flew with the airline to Gothenburg airport in Sweden, touching down after 11pm Saturday. On arrival, crew told Keogh that wheelchair assistance was not available until well after midnight.

The Irish traveller said crew suggested he could “crawl from the aircraft” instead of waiting. Late and desperate to get off the plane, he did just that.

“It’s unacceptable to expect me to crawl down the steep metal steps,” said the passenger.

His brother, who was also travelling, took a photo of him crawling down the plane stairs, which he posted to social media.

Ryanair said that its crew did not tell the passenger to crawl off the plane.

Gothenburg’s Landvetter airport has since apologised to Keogh. .

In an interview with BBC Nothern Ireland Keogh said he was in pain after the flight and needed to use the toilet, which he could not do on the plane.

“The Landvetter authorities blamed Ryanair and Ryanair blamed Landvetter. They especially didn’t want us taking the picture,” wrote Keogh on his Instagram account.

Keogh said that the service was “unacceptable”, especially having paid an additional fee for wheelchair assistance.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said that wheelchair and accessibility services were operated by the airport.

The airline told Sky News it “regret[s] that Landvetter Airport failed to provide special assistance to this passenger upon arrival at Landvetter on 29 Apr and we are working with Landvetter Airport to ensure this does not recur”.

In its apology to Keogh, the airport said wheelchair assistance was unavailable because of another medical emergency and service delays.

“With several booked assistants requirements, including yours, and a medical emergency simultaneously, caused a [delay]. Your assistance service was not forgotten but delayed,” read the letter.

Keogh, who has been a wheelchair user since 2015, said it was not the first time he had faced unreasonable delays on planes because of his need for assistance.

“I am not looking for anything, only the service I paid for and to be able to travel with dignity.”