Key facts
- Virgin Australia apologised to disability advocate Shane Hryhorec after he was removed from a flight.
- Hryhorec uses a wheelchair with a SmartDrive power assist device.
- The incident occurred because Hryhorec was asked to stow the motor under his seat, but there was insufficient space.
- Hryhorec stated he felt humiliated, upset, and angry.
- Virgin Australia acknowledged it did not meet its standards in handling the situation.
- Hryhorec has lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Virgin Australia has issued an apology to disability advocate Shane Hryhorec after he was removed from a flight due to issues with his wheelchair's power assist device. Hryhorec, who lives with C5 incomplete quadriplegia, shared a viral video of the incident where flight staff insisted he store his SmartDrive motor under his seat, despite a lack of space due to the business class armrest.
In the video, which garnered millions of views, Hryhorec could be heard telling staff he had successfully flown with the device on previous Virgin Australia flights that week. Staff members suggested previous crews had "done the wrong thing" to accommodate him and asked him to delete his videos before he was removed from the plane.