Westjet Weight Cap On Power Wheelchairs Leaves Some Canadians Grounded, Advocates Say

Travelers and advocates say a norm astatine WestJet Airlines that bars immoderate powerfulness wheelchairs from astir of its planes discriminates against group surviving pinch a disability.

The Calgary-based hose states connected its website that mobility immunodeficiency are capped astatine 300 pounds for nan immense mostly of its aircraft, a limit that rules retired galore powerfulness wheelchairs.

After flying pinch WestJet for years, Manitoba resident and erstwhile MP Steven Fletcher says an hose supplier told him they would not beryllium capable to transportation his wheelchair connected a formation from Winnipeg to Toronto past February owed to its weight.

He says he was forced to usage a different wheelchair, causing symptom and unit sores that required aesculapian attention.

In a consequence to a regulatory title revenge by Fletcher, WestJet says it landed connected nan 300-pound limit past twelvemonth aft an engineering study and that accessibility regulations let it to garbage carrier of heavier mobility aids.

ARCH Disability Law Centre lawyer Devin Glim says nan weight limit efficaciously denies entree to aerial recreation for astir civilization powerfulness wheelchair users, pinch advocates noting that nary different awesome North American hose maintains specified a debased headdress for jets.