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Jetstar is facing more criticism of its wheelchair policy after it refused to fly some of New Zealand's top disabled athletes.
Paralympics New Zealand was told only two out of eight of its wheelchair bound athletes were allowed on board a Jetstar-operated Qantas flight, regardless of whether they needed assistance or not.
The team of 16, half of whom use wheelchairs had booked flights to Darwin in May.
But they were told earlier this week that the Qantas flight they had booked would be operated by subsidiary Jetstar.
That resulted in a big reshuffle, moving six wheelchair athletes onto another airline, which can cater for a larger number of wheelchair passengers.
"We had to make alternative arrangements on a different airline to ensure our team could depart from Darwin," chief executive of Paralympics NZ Fiona Pickering told ONE News.
Along with the inconvenience, the changes are disruptive to the team dynamic with travelling together seen as an important part of team building.
"The team leave here together, arrive together, and that's the real fundamental basis of where you begin, that team culture," said Pickering.
Athlete John Marrable said prefers to concentrate on his sport, and will be avoiding Jetstar in future.
"I don't need that hassle. If I have to fight for my seat on the plane, it's a fight I don't need."
Pickering said the problem with Jetstar is one they have not encountered before.
"We send up to 30 teams around the world domestically and internationally and we don't experience this issue."
The criticism comes just days after two disabled television presenters were left "dismayed and insulted" at being barred from boarding their Jetstar flight in Auckland.
Dan Buckingham and Tanya Black from Attitude TV were left waiting on the airbridge for half an hour before staff called the pair's producer and told her they could not travel because they did not have caregivers.
Jetstar's chief executive David Hall has unreservedly apologised for the incident. Speaking on TV ONE's Close Up Jetstar is committed to hassle-free travel, including for those with special needs, and in this case they got it wrong.
Jetstar's policy says the airline will not let someone travel without an accompanying passenger "unless the person can travel independently" - meaning they can travel safely without assistance, supervision, or both.
But Pickering said many of New Zealand's disabled athletes are very capable of looking after themselves.
She believes the airline needs to be more open-minded when deciding which of their passengers genuinely need help.
"It considers a person is a wheelchair user and that's that," she said.
"A lot of athletes are pretty independent and can transfer themselves and the chair and they don't need assistance."
The head of Paralympics New Zealand said they now refuse to fly with the cut-price airline and choose other carriers who they say have more acceptable policies.
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