‘I’m not fine’: Paralympian Karni Liddell kicked off plane over wheelchair

Two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Karni Liddell shared her latest flying horror story after being kicked off a flight — and not for the first time.

Karni Liddell has slammed the airlines for her treatment. Photo: Instagram

Paralympian Karni Liddell has taken to social media after being told she couldn’t board a plane unless she left her lithium battery-powered wheelchair behind.

The two-time bronze medal winning swimmer is a public speaker but was barred from flying from Brisbane to Proserpine in order to speak at the Premier’s domestic and family violence prevention council.

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After being kicked off her Jetstar flight on Wednesday, she took to Instagram in an emotional message.

“I’m acting like I’m fine. I’m not fine. It’s 2022 and I can’t count the number of flights I have been kicked off or rejected from because of being in a chair having batteries,” an emotional Liddell said.

“People can travel with their surfboards and prams and bikes, golf bags, but I can’t fly with my wheelchair.

“Now I’m just hanging out in my lounge room all dressed up nowhere to go and I’m just tired of the fight. I don’t know what to do anymore, I don’t know how much I can fight to just do the basics like fly, deliver a speech and make money.”

Social media was appalled by Liddell’s plight.

Award-winning jounalist Tracey Spicer tweeted: “This is OUTRAGEOUS.

It’s 2022. FFS @JetstarAirways.

“Please share to support @karniliddell and highlight this disgraceful discrimination.”

Six-time Paralymipic athlete Jodi Willis-Roberts wrote: “This is just not on in 2022! And the lady at @JetstarAirways telling Karni “not to be rude” c’mon!”

Athlete Tamsyn Lewis-Manou commented: “Um excuse me???? Wowzers. Seriously how does that happen?”

This is not the first time either. Photo: Instagram

The incident is far from isolated for those with disabilities.

In 2009, disabled athlete Kurt Fearnley was forced to crawl through Brisbane airport rather than use an unsuitable wheelchair, while in 2018 wheelchair tennis legend and current Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott was left stranded on a plane as his wheelchair wasn’t brought to the gate.

Left on ANOTHER PLANE without my wheelchair being brought to the gate. No idea where it is. Waiting for TOO LONG! Australian airlines need to sort their shit out. It is inhumane and unfair taking peoples independence away and not caring about it pic.twitter.com/IXPeVhm8qN

— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) August 17, 2018

It is just the tip of the iceberg according to Liddell.

Liddell explained to Sunrise on Thursday that despite having a dangerous goods certificate from Qantas and Jetstar, she was not permitted on the aircraft.

“I was told on the phone beforehand that I could fly, but I couldn’t bring my wheelchair,” she explained on Thursday.

“I asked her again to repeat it because I actually thought it was quite funny.

“I said ‘that would be like me telling you to take your legs off and then to jump on the plane and fly without your legs’ and she said ‘stop being so rude’.”

Liddell said it’s an example of how difficult flying is for people with disabilities and said it was “one of the hardest things to do”.

Former Paralympian Karni Liddell is a motivational speaker. Photo: Tara Croser

“I arrive at the airport with severe anxiety. I’ve been kicked off, denied and rejected about 10 flights over the past few years,” she said.

“It’s so common for us, we are always fighting to fly. So I just want to find out why? Why is it so hard?

“You don’t even hear half the stories because most of us don’t even make complaints because we’re so used to it now.”

She said the drama had cost her income and that she’d even been pulled off planes having already boarded.

“I don’t even feel safe until I’m in the air,” she said, adding she just wanted to be treated like everyone else. “I’ve never been treated like a customer.”

Kochie looked appalled. Photo: Channel 7

Jetstar released a statement, offering a personal apology, a refund and a travel voucher.

“Unfortunately her booking was made through a travel vendor and did not include the requirement to travel with a 25-kilogram lithium-battery-powered wheelchair,” a spokesperson said.

“Carrying a 25-kilogram lithium battery on our aircraft requires special clearance in advance of the flight’s departure.”