It now seems that a wheelchair-using layer, Jude Lee, is suing Jetstar for discriminating against him. The Northern Terrorist Anti Discriminating Commissioner has determined that Jude Lee has a case against the airline for making him feel like troublesome baggage on two different occasions.

Reports from documents obtained say that Mr Lee alleges that Jetstar failed to accommodate his special needs and that he was treated in a less favorable manner because of his impairment. Mr Lee is in the wheelchair because he is quadraplegic. Mr Lee goes on to say that he was told that he would not be allowed to fly from Darwin to Melbourne in August last year, because Jetstar’s records did not say he was a wheelchair passenger. He said that the plane had not been parked at an aerobridge, and a female staff member told him the lift was broken. A male staff member ended up lifting him onto the plane.

Mr Lee also said that, in January last year, when boarding a flight form Singapore to Darwin, he was also told he would not be allowed to board the flight. This news came to him after he had checked n and was waiting at the gate. The staff told him that they did not have an aisle for wheelchairs. Once again, Mr Lee was lifted onto the plane.

In response to the complaint, the airline said that they do agree with Mr Lee’s factual allegations, but they did not agree it was in breach of the Anti Discrimination Act. Jetstar went on to say that, given the nature of its operations, Jetstar does not have the systems, staff or facilities to provide the same level of special assistance to is passengers as provided by full cost carriers.