Travelers and defenders speak WestJet Airlines' rule prohibiting the use of certain electric wheelchairs on most of its aircraft. discriminates against people with disabilities.
The Calgary-based airline says on its website that the vast majority of its aircraft are limited to 300 pounds for mobility aids, which precludes the use of many power wheelchairs.
Manitoba resident and former Member of Parliament Stephen Fletcher, who flew on WestJet for many years, says an airline agent told him they couldn't carry his wheelchair on a flight from Winnipeg to Toronto last February because of its weight.
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He says he was forced to use another wheelchair, causing pain and bedsores that required medical attention.
WestJet says it reached the 136 kg (300 lb) limit after an engineering review last year and that accessibility rules allow it to refuse to carry heavier vehicles.
Global news
In response to the regulatory complaint filed by Fletcher, WestJet says it reached the 300-pound limit after an engineering review last year and that accessibility rules allow it to refuse to carry heavier vehicles.
ARCH Disability Law Center attorney Devin Glim says the weight limit effectively bars most power wheelchair users from air travel, with advocates pointing out that no other major North American airline maintains such a low limit for airplanes.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
