An amputee abandoned aboard a plane at an airport had to be helped off the flight by the embarrassed pilot when no one remembered to help.
David Judd, 54, flew into Manchester Airport from Spain and patiently awaited the assistance he had booked ahead of the landing.
After half an hour it became clear to David - who has a prosthetic leg - no-one was on their way.
Luckily the pilot saw her was there as he was leaving and offered assistance.
Dad-of-three David told Manchester Evening News : “You could say it made me feel as insignificant as anyone could possibly feel.
“The pilot came out and said there were no stewardesses left. Then radioed saying there was a guy still here. The other people who had special assistance – they could walk.
“I had just come back so I couldn’t really put my leg on so I really did need help. After 25 – 30 minutes, the pilot said he could push me on the ramp.
“They did get a wheelchair from under the plane, but there was no special assistance whatsoever.
“This was the pilot – the guy that flies a Boeing 737 and he was pushing me in a wheelchair. I thought, ‘My God, how wrong is this?’
“He was so embarrassed; you could see it. You could really see it.
"Then we got the bus back to the car park and I stood up trying to put my suitcases in and the driver put her foot down. I fell back and hit my head and arm on the window.
“We’re meant to be going away in September for an anniversary but I don’t really want to go. I really don’t want that feeling again.
“It’s been five weeks and I’ve been angry all that time. But I can’t be angry because this wasn’t my doing – and this wasn’t my fault – but it makes you feel like it's your fault you have your leg cut off.”
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “We were disappointed to hear of this passenger’s experience when travelling through our airport.
“Like airports across the UK, Manchester contracts a third-party company to provide assistance, which is booked directly by the passenger with their airline.
“We take assistance requirements very seriously and, prior to the pandemic, were rated ‘good’ in the Civil Aviation Authority’s most recent Airport Accessibility report.
“We remain confident that most people with assistance needs travelling through our airport will have a positive experience, but we recognise that this was not the case here.
"We will continue to work closely with all involved to ensure passengers requiring assistance receive the best service possible, and to understand how a repeat of this case will be avoided.”
An ABM Aviation spokesperson, which provides assistance support at Manchester Airport, added: “We understand the importance of the special assistance service we provide to passengers.
“We always aim to deliver that service with efficiency, respect, and care and regret when passengers experience anything short of these standards.
“Learning from these moments, we are actively working with our teams, clients and partners to implement efforts to minimise the impact on passengers as we navigate this phase of the pandemic recovery.
“Special assistance providers are one part of a larger network of airport services that continues to face challenges, including a national labour and resource shortage. In addition, our teams are currently experiencing higher volumes of special assistance requests than our busiest pre-pandemic peak."
