Air NZ grounds disabled tourist

A nurse must be flown from England to help a wheelchair-bound tourist fly home because of Air New Zealand's no-lifting policy.

Alan Hankin, a librarian with motor neurone disease, was stopped with his sister on their way to the departure lounge at Christchurch Airport on Thursday night.

Mr Hankin, 47, and sister Janet, who was wearing a neck brace following a road crash, were "stunned" when staff said Mr Hankin could not board the plane without an escort.

Mr Hankin said staff asked him how he would get to his seat.

Although Mr Hankin's sister has not been able to help manoeuvre him since the car crash, they have managed to travel around New Zealand by plane, train and boat.

His insurance company agreed to pay for a nurse to come from England to assist him.

It also paid the costs of the car crash in Northland from which the pair had to be airlifted to hospital.

Air NZ spokeswoman Rosie Paul said the incident was regrettable, but the support required was "beyond the responsibility of cabin crew".

If the pair had contacted the airline before checking in they would have been advised to call their travel insurer to discuss the need for escort assistance, Ms Paul said.

A spokesman for Qantas Airways, who did not want to be named, said airline staff would assist wheelchair-bound passengers as long as they were not required to administer drugs or help with toileting.

"I get the feeling Air NZ is a reasonably special case when it comes to this," he said.

Disabled Persons' Assembly policy researcher Wendy Wicks said Air NZ's domestic policy appeared to constitute indirect discrimination under the Human Rights Act.

"It must make him feel like a sack of spuds; it's so demeaning."

Ms Wicks was surprised the no-lifting policy, which stirred controversy when Air NZ introduced it on domestic flights last year, also applied to international flights.

The airline is testing lifting aids for staff.

Mr Harkin said he still had a fantastic time on his five-week holiday.

"The attitude of Air NZ has nothing to do with the country or its people, who are wonderful," he said.

Mr Harkin said locals had helped him on a TranzAlpine trip, a whale-watching boat at Kaikoura and on to the Christchurch tram.

- NZPA