UPDATE — Disabled Hungarian passenger humiliated: Ryanair did not let his wheelchair battery on board

Stay in Milan or travel home to Budapest without his wheelchair battery: these were the two options left at the airport for a disabled Hungarian man. Viktor Singer travelled to Milan last week for a concert with his sister-in-law and niece. He is seeking damages and compensation from Ryanair. The airline has not yet responded to the complaint.

Humiliating experience with Ryanair

We have reported on Singer’s humiliating experience a few days ago. However, now it is official that the airline concerned was Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair.

Viktor Singer has flown many times with his electric wheelchair. He has been to Iceland, Dubai, Spain and Berlin. According to him, there was never any problem with the wheelchair or its battery, rtl.hu writes.

“They never asked me any questions. I’ve had them look at it, but they just looked to see if I could take it off, because you have to take it on board,” he told rtl.hu.

Singer did what he had to

He started by indicating in advance that he wanted airport assistance, as required by the rules. He also stated that his wheelchair was battery-powered. Everything went smoothly in Budapest.

He went to a concert with his sister-in-law and niece. The surprise arrived the next day at Milan airport. The Ryanair desk clerk told them that they could not take the wheelchair’s battery on the plane.

“If I want to travel, I have to leave the battery. That was literally my choice,” the man said.

Viktor Singer even called the consultant, but the administrator refused to talk to him. He also called the airport police. They took photos of Viktor Singer’s and the two women’s documents and said they had no jurisdiction to solve the problem. They finally boarded the flight to Budapest humiliated and angry,” Viktor said.

Everyone has the right to equal access to transport

A lawyer from the National Federation of Associations of Disabled People helped Singer write his letter of complaint. The man is claiming financial and moral compensation. He needs to buy a replacement for the battery he left at the airport.

“The cost of the new battery, including the installation, was HUF 160,000 (EUR 415.74), and people with disabilities also have the right to equal access to transport,” the lawyer, Zsuzsanna Villányi, said.

The airline has not yet responded to rtl.hu’s questions or to Viktor Singer’s letter of complaint.

You can watch the report of RTL Híradó (RTL News) in Hungarian below:

UPDATE — Ryanair’s statement to Daily News Hungary

“To ensure that passengers travelling with an electric wheelchair can be accommodated, an Electric Mobility Device Form must be completed in advance of their flight.This passenger did not submit this form before his flight from Milan to Budapest (27 Jun) and presented with a battery that was not permitted. As his battery was not permitted, this passenger chose to leave the battery behind with security at Milan Airport and board this flight to Budapest.”