EasyJet Blocks Six Italian Powerchair Athletes from Rome-to-Glasgow Flight

EasyJet blocked six disabled athletes from boarding a scheduled 11:55 a.m. flight from Rome's Fiumicino airport to Glasgow on Monday. The athletes, members of Italy's national powerchair football team, had planned to travel for a warm-up tournament ahead of the World Championships in Argentina.

The Italian Paralympic Committee and the Italian Paralympic Powerchair Sport Federation had secured authorization from easyJet in April to carry the six athletes along with 12 wheelchairs. GB News reported that the Airbus A320 operating the flight had a maximum capacity of five wheelchairs, according to the airline.

EasyJet proposed that one athlete remain in Rome while the competition wheelchairs be sent on a separate flight to Edinburgh.

FIPPS had contacted the airline before departure to reconfirm the April arrangements but received no reply. The airline became aware of the issue on Sunday and upgraded the aircraft to create additional hold space, yet maintained it could not transport all 12 wheelchairs.

Italy's civil aviation authority launched a formal investigation into whether EU regulations on disabled passengers' rights were breached, focusing on the booking assistance procedure and communications with easyJet.

Aeroporti di Roma stated that its staff were present at the gate ready to assist when easyJet informed them the passengers would not be accepted. A miscommunication between easyJet's customer service department and the team's coordinator over the total number of wheelchairs is understood to lie at the heart of the dispute.

CIP president Marco Giunio De Sanctis described the episode as an unacceptable disgrace.