Disabled easyJet passenger falls to his death on escalator at Gatwick Airport after waiting for special assistance

A DISABLED man left waiting on a plane fell to his death in Gatwick’s North Terminal after getting off without a helper.

A source said the passenger and his wife both required special assistance after their easyJet flight landed at the airport.

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They explained: “A member of staff came to take the woman into the airport but the man was left on the plane. 

“He must not have wanted to wait for the staff member to come back so made his own way into the terminal.

“While on the escalator the passenger fell down and suffered serious injuries as a result and died.

“This is a tragic incident which should never have happened. Someone should have been helping him.

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“There’s been a real issue with staffing problems and some disabled people have had to wait for hours for help.

“Normal airport staff have had to be reminded not to help disabled passengers if they’re not qualified to, even if it means passengers waiting for hours.”

Gatwick’s North Terminal has witnessed chaotic scenes and huge queues for weeks as staff shortages have meant flights have been cancelled or severely delayed. Across the country, hundreds of flights have been cancelled in the past two weeks.

The tragedy happened at around 12.50pm on Wednesday — and comes after a quadriplegic woman was recently left on a Gatwick plane for 90 minutes.

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Victoria Brig­nell said her wheelchair turned up at the right time but staff who were supposed to help her off were “busy elsewhere”.

At Heathrow, disabled journalist Frank Gardner was recently left waiting on a plane after he was told there were “no staff” to help him off. The wheelchair user said he was forced to wait “long after everyone else was off”.

Travel expert Paul Charles, from The PC Agency, said of the Gatwick death: “Questions will be asked about the lack of staff available to assist in the middle of the day when this flight arrived.

“It  shows the increasing frustration of some passengers who can’t wait on aircraft for long periods  hoping help may eventually arrive.”

Gatwick Airport is responsible for providing special assistance services for passengers.

Gatwick outsources its assistance services to provider Wilson James.

The airport said the man was one of three disabled passengers due to be disembarked, and a member of staff was in the process of helping each of them off.

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Gatwick added: “Staff shortages were not a factor in this incident, as has been claimed. It is normal for one staff member to disembark three passengers who require assistance. An investigation is under way. Our thoughts are with the passenger’s family.”

The nightmare for UK holidaymakers is set to continue as Unite and GMB union members, who work as check-in staff and ground workers, are voting over strike action at Heathrow.

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DISABLED 'IGNORED'

A TRAVEL boss has claimed the tragedy was inevitable as the industry fails to look after the disabled.

Angus Drummond, CEO of Limitless Travel — which caters for disabled travellers — said: “It was only a matter of time. Does it take a death for airports to start taking action and for people to really wake up to the needs of disabled people?”

He said cost-cutting airports give special assistance contracts to the cheapest bidder, so help is “chronically understaffed and underpaid”.

He said the situation is worsened by increased shortages at airports, and went on: “For them, disabled people are a hindrance. But if done properly it can be a seamless and rewarding experience for all.

"In Spain special assistance is well staffed and well paid — and the service is incredible.”

Mr Drummond said he set up his firm “to enable disabled people to travel without stress, worry or fear”, providing a qualified care team for all its passengers.

He added: “The travel industry does not look after disabled people — so we have taken it into our own hands.”