Elderly man claims he was abused for requiring wheelchair assistance at Darwin airport

A veteran traveller requiring assistance at Darwin airport says he was told ‘people who can’t travel independently shouldn’t travel’ by a Jetstar worker assigned to help.

A veteran traveller says he was made to feel “subhuman” after being “abused” by a Jetstar staff member for needing wheelchair assistance.

Leonard Lee landed at Darwin airport in the early hours of Sunday morning and claimed the man assigned to wheel him to the baggage claim dumped him halfway and told him “people with disabilities who can’t travel independently shouldn’t travel”.

Years of rugby tackles, long distance runs, a total knee replacement and osteoarthritis have left Mr Lee with mobility issues requiring him to use a walker.

The 76-year-old was no stranger to travel, his work in television and journalism taking him to Iran, Poland, and around the country – notably working as a writer on the first Blinky Bill movie.

Traveller Leonard Lee says he felt "subhuman" after being told by a Jetstar team member that people who need assistance with mobility should not fly. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Now living in Prospect in inner-Adelaide, he flew to the Top End this week to visit his sister.

Mr Lee’s arrival in Darwin was his “worst ever travel experience”, he said.

“I’ve heard many things in my career, believe you me, but I’ve never heard anything quite as naked as that.

“That was a real shock, if he’d had his way I would have crawled to the baggage carousel.

“Automatically you’re reduced to a sort of subhuman.”

Mr Lee said the worker met him with a wheelchair at landing and wheeled him up the ramp.

“We got to the check-in counter and then he dumped me at that point,” he said.

Mr Lee said he asked for help getting to his walker at the downstairs baggage carousel and the man “very reluctantly” wheeled him to the lift, making the ableist comment he “shouldn’t travel” on the way.

“At the lift door I got out, he wasn’t taking me any farther,” Mr Lee said.

“I got on the lift and hobbled from the lift door through the bottom part of the airport until someone rescued me and got my walker.”

Mr Lee said he was concerned for the increasing number of travellers who would need assistance as Australia’s population continued to age. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Lee said he was motivated to speak out thinking of the growing number of travellers with mobility issues.

“We have an ageing population and all the airlines have to be conscious of it and ready for it. I’m at the forefront of this, there’s going to be a lot more of me,” he said.

Mr Lee said he often travelled Jetstar and usually had “impeccable service” but thought the incident revealed “a severe lack of training”.

“I don’t believe he (the worker) represents Jetstar, he represents his prejudices against old people and people with disabilities.”

A Jetstar spokesman said they were “really concerned” to hear about Mr Lee’s experience.

“Our customer team immediately reached out to apologise and better understand what happened,” he said.

“We have spoken with the team member involved to ensure this situation doesn’t happen again.

“Our staff are trained to provide wheelchair assistance from check-in to the aircraft, while on-board, and between the aircraft and baggage claim.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our wheelchair assistance and are taking Mr Lee’s feedback very seriously.”