DISCOUNT AIRLINES

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (16:43): One of the issues that really concerns me is the discrimination and considerable embarrassment that people with disabilities have suffered when flying on discount airlines, and I am sure that a number of members have had complaints to our electorate offices. I would like to relate two instances that have been brought to my attention. They are each with different discount airlines, but it certainly appears to be a common theme.

There appears to be a reluctance from the discount airlines to provide for the needs of the disabled and to give them a reasonable service. From my investigations, it seems that it is being driven by the argument that it would impose an additional cost on the price structure for the discount airline.

The first instance relates to a woman who is in her late 50s and wheelchair bound. She flew from Adelaide to Brisbane for a holiday, and, on her return from holiday (which she thoroughly enjoyed, I might say), she was approached after disembarking from the flight by some of the flight attendants who advised her that, in future, she would need to have a carer fly with her. She is an intelligent woman and that caused her considerable anguish and embarrassment. When I raised the issue initially, the airline was not prepared to discuss the incident. However, I was later able to see that my constituent received a formal apology from the airline. She just needed some assistance getting on and off. She certainly did not need anyone to care for her, in that sense, during the flight.

The second incident involves another airline and an elderly woman, who is 82 years of age, who was flying to Alice Springs and was in need of wheelchair assistance. That was not readily forthcoming from airline staff at check-in, but the family were able to source a wheelchair and escorted her to the departure gate. When the flight was called the family approached airline staff asking for assistance for the elderly woman to board the plane and they were told that it could not be provided as there were no staff available to assist her. The family even offered to take the lady onto the plane but, understandably, that was rejected.

Eventually, a very understanding passenger overheard the discussion between the airline staff and the family and offered to assist the lady onto the plane so that she was able to board the aircraft. Interestingly, the family advised me that when the plane landed in Alice Springs the lady was assisted by airline staff to disembark from the aircraft. Naturally, the woman and her family were, and still are, very upset and embarrassed by the incident which occurred at Adelaide Airport and the family has subsequently made a formal complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Unfortunately, the complaint was not able to be resolved through conciliation and, regrettably, that process has now been terminated.

The incidents indicate to me that there is a need for some very clear guidelines to the airline industry, detailing their obligations to service all sectors of our community, including, and particularly, those with disabilities. It is an obligation for our society to ensure that those who are disabled are not denied assistance on the basis of an additional cost to the provider. Quite frankly, I would think that would be a very small cost. Sadly, what I am relating is particularly true of low cost airlines. They should not be able to argue that the cost structure prohibits people with a disability from using their airlines.

I understand that the airline industry is involved in the Aviation Access Working Group which is in the final stages of establishing a disability access facilitation plan. It is my view that such a plan needs to have some very clear guidelines for the protection of the rights of the disabled. There also needs to be some very clear provisions, when service failures occur, for these individuals to have their grievances dealt with without the need to take on costly legal action to address the matter because, obviously, people with a disability have a lot of ongoing costs, which means that they just cannot afford to seek redress in the courts.

I have spoken to minister Rankine about the issue and, recently, I have written directly to the federal minister, the Hon. Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and also to Senator McLucas, who is the parliamentary secretary for disabilities and carers, to express my concerns on the matter. As I said, I am sure that other members have had people come into their offices and complain. It is something that is occurring quite regularly in my electorate office. Whether people have a disability or not, people with a disability like to travel and do the normal things that everyone else does, and I think that some of the very embarrassing situations that have occurred are not a credit to some of these discount airlines.

We do not seem to see this on the major airlines, but we are certainly seeing it more regularly on discount airlines. I think it also affects their patronage by able-bodied people because they feel either insulted or distressed on behalf of their family member or friend where these unfortunate things have happened and they choose not to fly with them.