– The argument was that they were unsure if I had managed myself in an evacuation, Øyen says to news. The incident happened when she was going home to Trondheim after being on a weekend trip in Bodø. The trip north went without problems, but the return was not as painless. Outside the Widerøe aircraft, there is said to have been a discussion between the assistance staff at the airport and the crew on board. – I just saw that they were talking about me. Then the assistance staff came back and told me that there was some discussion about whether I could join the plane because I am in a wheelchair and that I travel alone. Widerøe takes self-criticism after the incident and apologizes to Øyen. See the response from the airline further down in the case. Felt incapacitated 42 year old Øyen was born with a spina bifida and has been in a wheelchair almost all his life. She says that she is used to managing herself in everyday life. While the discussion outside the plane was going on, she herself was strapped into a highchair several meters away and was not allowed to participate in the conversation where she was the topic of conversation. – I had a palpitation and was afraid of not being allowed to join. I started thinking about what in the world I would do if I was not allowed to join, because both my wheelchair and my luggage had been checked in. She normally books with SAS when she will fly between Trondheim to Bodø. But due to the SAS strike, Widerøe was the only alternative. After some back and forth, she finally got on board the plane. But the incident led to many emotions at Øyen. – I would not have traveled alone if I had thought there was a danger to my own safety, I am old enough to judge for myself. In such a situation, you feel really incapacitated and much weaker and smaller than you are. That’s what’s so bad. The Handicap Association reacts – Now it’s time for Widerøe to go round with himself. This is what union leader Tove Linnea Brandvik in the Norwegian Handicap Association says. RESPONDS: Tove Linnea Brandvik of the Norwegian Handicap Association believes Widerøe must review its routines when it comes to passengers with special needs. Photo: Norwegian Handicap Association – When you book a flight and provide all the necessary information, you must be able to come with the plane if you have received a confirmed ticket. – It can not be the case that you stand in the air door and are told that you are not allowed to join. The Handicap Association experiences that this type of problem arises on a regular basis. – And in recent years, it seems that this is a Widerøe problem, Brandvik says. She believes that these issues appear far less frequently at SAS and Norwegian. Widerøe: – We strongly apologize – We are very sorry for the experience Elen describes. This should not have happened. The passenger has done everything right. It writes communications consultant, Lina Lindegaard Carlsen, in Widerøe in an e-mail to news. – This worked as it should on the trip to Bodø – but unfortunately not on the return. We report this incident as a discrepancy and will investigate this internally to learn from what has happened and prevent something like this from happening again. Widerøe writes that the EU Agency for Aviation Safety (EASA) has introduced regulations that state that the individual passenger must be able to take care of themselves in various scenarios. Regulations for wheelchair users on planes You need to bring a companion when you need help on board with one or more of the points below: Loosen the seat belt Finding and putting on your life jacket Getting to the emergency exit Wear an oxygen mask Follow safety announcements and instructions in an emergency Need medical assistance You also need a companion when: You need help during ground stops, for e.g. medical assistance and assistance during toilet visits. Has a mental disability or a mental retardation that requires assistance. Need assistance with a landing at a base other than originally planned due to. irregularities (eg bad weather that can result in an overnight stay at a hotel) Source: Widerøe If the passenger is not able to do this, the passenger will have to travel with a companion. But they emphasize that if the passenger himself confirms that he / she can take care of himself / herself, then the company must trust this. The airline strongly apologizes to Øyen after the incident in Bodø. – Absolutely. We are very sorry that Elen experienced this. We lie completely flat and strongly regret that she was not included in this discussion. Differs from other companies – The Norwegian Handicap Association says that you are a “worst”, and that SAS and Norwegian do not have nearly as many incidents of the same caliber. Do you have a problem with this type of incident? – We are not familiar with such a ranking, but it is certainly not the way we want to be perceived and something we take very seriously. Widerøe writes that they differ from other Norwegian airlines, including how many cabin crew they have on board most flights. This can have an impact on how strictly they have to practice the regulations. – On most flights with Widerøe, we only have one cabin crew on board. This person is solely responsible for evacuating all passengers in the cabins should an emergency arise. Will the rules to life Øyen says these are the rules she is most critical of, and that she does not mind the employees who were involved. – The flight attendant sat down and talked to me when we landed at Værnes and apologized very much. I think that was fine. – It is the stupid rules that are the problem. It seems so individual and person-dependent how the rules are interpreted. It can not be the case that you risk being left at the airport when you have paid for a trip and checked in, she concludes.
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– You feel incapacitated – news Nordland
