Boston Volt Hockey players removed from flight in Denmark because of wheelchairs
Two disabled athletes from Massachusetts were removed from an airplane because of their wheelchairs. The hockey team is finally back home in Boston after their trip overseas ended on a sour note.
It was all pride and smiles, bringing home the bronze for the Boston Whiplash Volt Hockey team at the Malmo Open international parasport competition.
But that high turned into humiliation and confusion for Marley Robinson and Desi Forte when the disabled athletes were forced off their flight from Denmark in their wheelchairs.
"Kind of disgusted, I mean so many people with disabilities have to go through this horrible stuff all the time and it's just not right," said Marley Robinson through tears.
Airline said wheelchairs were too heavy
Just minutes before their Scandinavian Airlines flight took off, Desi, Marley and their coach were told to get off the plane because their 400-pound wheelchairs were suddenly too heavy.
"They started telling us it was because of the weight of the chair, and we were still kind of confused because we literally took the exact same plane to Copenhagen from Boston, no issues," said Robinson.
The women waited 24 hours in Copenhagen for answers.
"I didn't know if I was going to have enough medicine to make it the rest of the time not knowing when this flight home was going to be," said Desi Forte.
They were finally rebooked and flew home Thursday; their plane was the same size as the one they were forced off.
"We shouldn't have to go through this, we're completely exhausted we have to go through so much to get ready for flights," said Robinson.
"Our heartfelt apologies"
SAS Airlines says it was a misunderstanding over a special permit which is required for heavier wheelchairs to get onto the aircraft, saying in a statement in part, "We deeply regret the impact this had on their travel and are reviewing our procedures immediately to ensure this does not happen again. Our heartfelt apologies for the inconvenience this has caused. We are committed to support all of our passengers at our very best and to assure they receive the experience they should expect from SAS."
"Disabled people deserve all the same things that everybody else gets to do," said Coach Laura Calderon.
While the apology is appreciated, they hope the airline does better, especially as the sport continues to grow.
"Being disabled in a non-disabled world, the amount of ableism you face on a day-to-day basis is mind boggling at times," said Forte.
