At BHX it seems that aircraft are given directions off the runway to a taxiway holding point then cleared to their stand. The controllers don’t actually seem to give directions. The crew have airfield plates (Jeppeson’s) to follow any way and the directions to the stand required should be marked out clearly on the apron.

Regards,

kev35

Dusseldwarf.

“I also think it is irrelevant if Ryanair make small or huge profits. Does this mean that Mr. Ross would have not actioned the court case if Ryanair made a loss? No, I think that is missing the point by miles.”

My point is that Ryanair claim “It should clearly be the responsibility of the very profitable airport terminal operators to provide disabled passenger assistance through their buildings on a free of cost basis.” At £165 million pounds a year profit Ryanair are clearly not financially challenged.

“As far as Ryanair charging £0.50 per passenger per sector as a wheelchair levy – it is all about them making their point that they don’t see why they should have to pay an airport’s cost to wheelchair passengers and are now passing it on to every STN and LGW passenger just like other airlines (albeit at a much inflated price) – but unless they do this, their point would not be noticed. I still agree with Ryanair that they should not be responsible for this, neither should the passenger BUT Stansted Airport definately should be. If I was Ryanair, a business, I would be fed up if I was paying for another business’ service to be provided to a third party.”

Ryanair will certainly be hoping that the legal procedure for the appeal is a lengthy one if they are to make another £10 million pounds per year out of this 50p levy. I don’t see the problem, this should be between Ryanair and BAA. Again, if Ryanair accepted Mr Ross as a passenger then surely they have a duty of care to him at the very least from the time he checks in. Whether he came is his own wheelchair or not. That is wholly irrelevant. Ryanair surely don’t carry that many passengers who are in Mr Ross’s situation that they can quibble and argue over £18 when they declare an annual profit of £165 million?

Regards,

kev35

Have to agree with Flood on this one. Some family lost a loved one and donated their organs to help others. Then this idiot comes along and abuses that. They should cut his liver out and then see how he gets on. I’m angry over this, I once looked after a 14 year old girl who died because a liver was not available. What a waste.

Regards,

kev35

View from a person with mobility problems.

I use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. There are numerous occasions when I have to use both. Mr. Ross did not have his own wheelchair at that time so he arrived on crutches. How far is the walk from check-in to the departure gate? Quite probably outside Mr. Ross’ range for being able to walk there. So if he has checked in then it is the responsibility of the airline to get him on and off the aircraft. They are providing a service. Go into your local Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury and see if they charge you for the use of a wheelchair. It all comes down to a lack of understanding and an absence of customer service. Believe me, neither Mr Ross or anyone else wants to be in a wheelchair.

“In this case, Mr Ross, who was not travelling in a wheelchair, and who was enjoying a £10 fare from London to the South of France, and whom the Judge accepted “would not fly to Perpignan four times a year if the Ryanair air fares were not so cheap” still expects Ryanair to pay £18 (£36 return) – or almost twice his air fare – for wheelchair assistance to a passenger who is not in a wheelchair – to get through the British Airports Authority’s complicated terminal building at Stansted Airport.”

The fact that Ryanair offer such cheap fares is irrelevant. I still see no justification for discriminating against someone with mobility problems. When a ticket is brought from Ryanair do they point out how difficult it is to get through the “complicated terminal building at Stansted Airport”? Or that a charge of £18 pounds will be levied?

“There is a strong case for making the Airport manager responsible for organising and financing the assistance that people with reduced mobility need to use air transport”. Ryanair fully supports and endorses this view. “

They may have a point, but that is for them to argue with the airport operator, not Mr Ross.

“We believe this decision of the County Court is defective. It should clearly be the responsibility of the very profitable airport terminal operators to provide disabled passenger assistance through their buildings on a free of cost basis. These costs should not be imposed on the airlines, particularly when – as in the case of Mr Ross and Ryanair – the fare paid by Mr Ross to fly to the South of France was just half the cost of providing wheelchair assistance to get him through the terminal building in Stansted.”

Profitable airport operators? Does Ryanair not think a profit of some £165 million pounds last year makes them profitable? What’s next from them? Charging the blind for a guide? The deaf and hard of hearing becuse their staff have to speak louder? The fact that Mr Ross did not arrive in a wheelchair does not mean that he did not need that facility. What Ryanair are doing is splitting hairs.

One final point about money. Ryanair have levied an immediate charge of 50 pence per passenger. According to Business Times, in the twelve months to 30th Nov, 2003, Ryanair carried 20.7 million passengers. Charge them all an extra 50p and you bring in another £10,350,000 in revenue. How many wheelchairs can you buy for that? And that is the bottom line, greed.

Ryanair deserve to go down for this, or perhaps their CEO could show us how the airline spends ten million pounds on wheelchair passengers each year?

Regards,

kev35

I’m getting to the stage now where I have to use a wheelchair quite often. I had to buy my own as the waiting list for equipment from social services in my are is up to two years. I find it disgusting that an airline should charge for the use of a wheelchair. Much of Mr. Ross’s time in the wheelchair would be spent gettimg from check in to the aircraft anyway wouldn’t it? In which case, after paying for a ticket and checking in I would expect the airline to have a duty of care to its passengers anyway.

It goes a bit wider than that though. For us spotters/ photographers the viewing facilities at MAN are excellent. I can cope there if I need to use my wheelchair. The same cannot be said of the outdoor viewing area at BHX. It is steeply sloped, the ground is undulating, the toilets are permanently closed and it costs £5.30 for a four hour stay. No wonder I sit on the car park to take my photo’s.

Sorry for ranting but issues like this are coming to mean a great deal to me. Before my disability, I had sympathy for people with disabilities, now it is empathy.

Regards,

kev35

Janie.

Now you see what I mean about the size of the hole.

Regards,

kev35

BHX picked up a couple of diversions earlier, an Easyjet flight and one from bmibaby. But then had to start diverting it’s own flights to MAN and EMA due iced up taxiways. Rumour on another board has at least two members claiming they heard radio transmissions blaming a lack of de-icer. Don’t know how true this is. An RAF C-17 was holding but BHX closed at 1958 and the C-17 went to MAN. Temeperature at BHX currently -4 and airport will not reopen till temperatures rise.

Regards,

kev35

Janie.

Currently having scanner problems, don’t know what’s wrong. so if anyone has a copy of BoB then and now perhaps they could scan and send the August 7th Durrants Park images to Janie? I can probably get a photo of the crews grave/s. It is likely that they were interred together.

Geoff.

I’ve not forgotten the other photo’s you require from Cannock. I’ve lost the details due to pc problems so can you email them to me again please. I remember Lehner and Rothig. I’ll make a concerted effort to get them done before your next deadline.

Regards,

kev35