Disabled easyJet passenger passes away on escalator at airport after waiting for special assistance

The tragedy happened after the man tried to make his way through an airport.

A disabled man left waiting on a plane fell to his death in at an airport in London after getting off without a helper.

A source said the passenger and his wife both required special assistance after their easyJet flight landed at Gatwick’s North Terminal.

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.

“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.”

A disabled easyJet passenger has become the first victim of Britain’s travel chaos after falling to his death down an escalator at Gatwick Airport. Picture: Miguel Medina/AFP

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.

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 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.

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 holiday-makers 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.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission