Wheelchair passenger's 'deep sense of injustice' at being stranded at Edinburgh Airport
The Italian, who visited the capital over Christmas, watched in disbelief as his flight left without him
An Italian visiting Edinburgh for Hogmanay said he felt a “deep sense of injustice” after missing his flight home because airport assistance staff failed to board his wheelchair in time.
Simone Gambirasio said the incident, which left him stranded, was the latest example of his rights as a passenger with disabilities being “repeatedly ignored” during 40 years of air travel.
The Milan-based journalist suffered a 24-hour delay at Scotland’s busiest airport when the Ryanair flight to Bergamo left without him on January 2.
Despite having priority boarding, Mr Gambirasio said airport assistance staff reached the departure gate late “due to a mix-up where they went to the wrong aircraft”.
He said: “While the assistance vehicle was approaching, Ryanair closed the door and left without me and my wheelchair.
“I was incredulous. I watched other passengers continue boarding while I was left behind, despite having done everything correctly. I felt a deep sense of injustice.
“The delay in assistance was just a few minutes, something completely normal at airports, yet there was no flexibility.
“A minor operational mistake by assistance staff was used to punish me, turning my return home into a nightmare - a night in an airport hotel, the loss of a working day that no one will refund, enormous stress and the fear of not being able to get back home.
“If a normal staircase for able‑bodied passengers had arrived a few minutes late, the airline would never have left that group of passengers behind.
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“Flying is already challenging for a person with a disability. Being excluded due to an organisational failure is deeply unfair, even if the staff were kind and clearly embarrassed.
“Airports can and must do more to respect the rights of people with disabilities and guarantee equal access to travel.
“Experiences like this discourage many from flying. I say the opposite - travel, and speak up when something doesn’t work. It’s your right.”
Edinburgh Airport was given a “needs improvement” rating in 2024-25 for assisting passengers with reduced mobility by the Civil Aviation Authority for not meeting standards “in a timely manner”.
But the regulator said it was “primarily due to operational issues caused by a change of contractor for its service provider, which now appears to be resolved”.
An airport spokesperson said: “Decisions regarding boarding are the responsibility of airlines and their handling agents.
“OCS, our special assistance provider, ensured he was taken to the gate ahead of his flight after becoming aware of the earlier issue.
“OCS also covered the cost of accommodation for Mr Gambirasio, and made sure staff were on hand to support him the following day."
“While incidents like this are rare, we understand how important a smooth journey is for all passengers.
“When things don’t go to plan, we work closely with our partners to review what happened and make improvements where required.”
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Special assistance at Edinburgh Airport is provided by its provider, not Ryanair.
“This passenger booked special assistance for this flight from Edinburgh to Milan Bergamo.
“However, we regret that Edinburgh Airport’s special assistance failed to board this passenger onto the ambilift prior to the gate closing and missed boarding for this flight.
“This passenger was reaccommodated onto the next available flight from Edinburgh to Milan Bergamo, on January 3.”
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