A mother alleges that Ryanair made her son “feel like an inconvenience” when they informed him he couldn’t bring his power wheelchair on a flight to Liverpool to watch the Premier League title being lifted at Anfield.
Daire Gorman, who was born without arms and femur bones in his legs due to a rare condition called Crommelin syndrome, is a huge Liverpool fan.The 13 year old even had the opportunity to meet the entire squad and then-manager Jurgen Klopp at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby last year.
The young lad from Co Monaghan was all set to travel from Dublin to Liverpool to witness his beloved Reds lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield last weekend, as reported by BelfastLive. However, just days before the trip, Daire’s mother, Shelley, was asked by Ryanair if the power wheelchair could be folded.
She was then informed that the wheelchair exceeded the airline’s maximum dimensions, which she shared with The Irish Times in an interview.
After being questioned if the wheelchair could be folded, Shelley responded, stating it was a power wheelchair and couldn’t fold down. When told that the chair would be too large, Shelley contacted the special assistance customer service, reports Belfast Live.
She recounted: “I ended up ringing special assistance customer services and they asked could he not go without the chair, and refused to take his chair.
“As a parent, you try and do your best for your children and especially children with additional needs and protect them from negativity – my child needs his wheelchair, imagine asking can he not go without it.”
She alleges that Ryanair initially resisted giving her a refund until they eventually gave in. Following Shelley’s grievance, Ryanair provided a statement to The Irish Times rebutting the claim that they withheld a refund.
In their defence, Ryanair insisted “regrettably, these emotive claims made by his mother are false. She fails anywhere in her complaint to accept that this wheelchair exceeded our well-publicised max dimensions.”
The family did not need the power wheelchair on the day as they managed to obtain a manual one instead.
Shelley disclosed that this alternative caused further issues; her son Daire required an “aisle chair” to transfer into the aircraft seat.
She reveals experiencing distress when her son was boarded last onto a filled plane, leading to him pushing through the cabin, “knocking off people” and “losing his dignity (with) everyone watching him transfer on to the seat”.
She accused the airline of stripping Daire’s independence and treating him as “an inconvenience” something that Ryanair have strongly denied.
A spokesperson for Ryanair highlighted that the maximum dimensions for wheelchairs are clearly available and had been during Ms Gorman’s booking, stating “readily available to Ms Gorman when this booking was made and if she had simply complied with them then that would have been the end of the matter”.
The airline also refutes the claim that Daire’s mother was asked if he could travel without a wheelchair and confirms that they did offer a refund. Additionally, the spokesperson clarified that wheelchair boardings are managed by the Dublin Airport Authority, not individual airlines.
The statement asserts that Shelley’s “claim that ‘Ryanair completely took Daire’s independence away’ is false and absurd”. Ryanair however did not address any queries regarding Daire’s placement at the back of the plane.
On Friday, Shelley spoke further on the issue on Northern Sound radio as she explained the lasting impact the incident had on her son. She explained: “He was devastated. It’s hard enough for someone in a wheelchair, especially a child with additional needs. They find it hard sometimes to fit in.
“So yeah, he was very upset. And he thought then ‘oh this is my fault. If I wasn’t in a chair this wouldn’t be happening. So he was very upset.”
