A disabled passenger boarded a Qatar Airways flight after being stranded in Melbourne to travel alone
Craig Nolan has spent five days at Melbourne Airport after being removed from a Qatar Airways flight. Photo / Submitted by Craig Nolan
An Australian expatriate says he was kicked off a plane for “flying alone” and left stranded at Melbourne Airport with his wheelchair.
Five days later, the passenger is still waiting for the flight and compensation at the airport.
Helsinki resident Craig Nolan said the incident was a first for him and left him “frustrated” as he tried to travel back to Finland for Christmas.
Nolan, who was born with spina bifida, needs a wheelchair to get around. After years of living abroad, he was used to flying as a solo passenger and had traveled the world without incident until now.
On Monday, he was asked to leave a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha for what he thought was a strange reason.
After getting on the plane and being helped to his seat on the plane’s aisle chair, 10 minutes after boarding the plane, the cabin crew told him that he had to get off the plane. He was already sitting when it was decided to unload him.
When he asked why, Nolan says he was told it was because he was traveling alone.
Speaking to SBS, the passenger said he had no choice but to get off the plane and wait for his wheelchair to be returned.
The airline paid for one night’s accommodation, but only after she claimed there was no public transport and she had nowhere to go.
“It all disappeared after midnight, so it took quite a lot of begging to get the first night’s accommodation,” he told the Herald. His nearest family was more than an hour away by taxi in Geelong, and the last trains had stopped running.
However, he has yet to hear a full explanation of why he was removed from the ship, or an apology from the airline to him and his partner, who is still waiting for him home in Helsinki.
Melbourne-based friend Bridget Mullahy said she was shocked to hear what had happened when Nolan got in touch to say he was stranded at Tullamarine Airport.
He said the airline’s decision to remove Nola from the plane was clear discrimination against his disability.
“He was seated, had his transfer pass and was clearly communicating his simple needs which MANY airlines had met in the past (no questions or problems). But Qatar decided to discriminate against him, remove him from the plane and drive him to Melbourne!
To make matters worse, when he finally got through to Reservations customer service to try to reschedule his trip, Nolan was told he would be charged a $400 “no show” fee.
My friend Craig was removed from the flight over @qatarairways last night because of him #Disability who requires a wheelchair. He is now stuck at Tullamarine Airport. YARN
– Bridget Mullahy (@Bridget_Mullahy) December 6, 2022
Nolan, who has since been told that the plane was not ready to serve a passenger in a wheelchair, says that he stated when he made the reservation that he needed additional help. He was not asked for more information.
“They tried to tell me that I hadn’t given enough information, that the codes I had given were wrong,” he told SBS. “I know what the codes are because [of] my background as a travel agency.”
At the moment he is still in Australia waiting to be booked home and to hear from the airline who would not book him on another service.
The Herald contacted Qatar Airways for comment.
The airline’s website says passengers requiring wheelchair assistance must notify them “preferably at the time of booking and at least 48 hours before departure”.
Nolan, who spent the last two nights at an airport hotel in Melbourne’s Tullamarine, says he is still waiting for a refund and to find a suitable flight home.
“I don’t have the funds to get another flight because we’re getting close to Christmas, so the costs are going to be a lot higher,” Nolan told the Herald.
At the moment, he expects the airline to agree to compensation, which he says is a matter of principle.
“If I fly home and the airline doesn’t compensate, they get away with discrimination and can do it again.”
Melbourne Airport management has been “very supportive”, Nolan says. They have covered some of his accommodation in the terminal, but ideally
“My partner of 15 years has returned home to work and is awaiting my arrival, hopefully by Christmas.”