Man had to carry wife on to plane

Paul and Jo Heath are angry at their treatment by Ryanair

A husband had to give his disabled wife a fireman's lift on to a Ryanair flight at Luton Airport after staff refused to help, due to health and safety issues.

Paul Heath, 53, of Milton Malsor, near Northampton, was left with no choice when a special lift failed to turn up to help his wife Jo on to the flight.

If he had not carried her himself the couple were told they would merely have to miss the flight, Mr Heath said.

Ryanair said a third party provided wheelchair assistance at the airport.

Multiple Sclerosis sufferer Mrs Heath, who uses a wheelchair, had warned the airline in advance she would need help to board the plane flying from Luton to Brest in France.

Mr Heath said Ryanair's policy to leave without disabled passengers if they could not get on the flight was unfair.

He said despite pre-warning the airline they would need help getting on to the Luton to Brest flight last month, the "ambulift" did not arrive.

He said no back-up option was available and staff refused to help because of health and safety risks.

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The piece of equipment needed to help Mrs Heath get on board hadn't turned up

He said: "I ended up giving her a fireman's lift myself up the stairs and on to the plane.

"On the flight we confirmed with the staff that Ryanair's policy is to leave people if they can't get on the plane.

"Basically if you're disabled you don't get the same rights to board as if you are able bodied. That's my concern."

Mr Heath said when he emailed Ryanair they had apologised for the problem, and blamed it on a third-party provider.

He added: "But they haven't answered my problem that the policy is to go without my wife."

A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Wheelchair assistance in Luton Airport is provided by a third party.

"Despite having been provided with a full report from Ryanair listing all assistance requirements for that day, the provider failed to have sufficient staff available to provide the service.

"Ryanair is pursuing this matter with the third party to ensure that this does not happen again."