“Going to sit right down and write himself an email,” determines Blogsbody.

After learning the wheelchair of Cressroads’ ambassador for disabled people Ross Smith goes walkabout at Gatwick Airport, and finds Menzies Aviation in urgent need of solving a developing problem for up to a million users wanting to entrust their sets of wheels to allegedly ‘specialist trained and dedicated personnel’ responsible for providing assistance to passengers with reduced mobility (PMS) at UK airports.

‘The reason for our email will be self-evident as you become party to the sometimes difficult content of the following explanation from G4S Aviation’s Gatwick PMS manager Wayne Tomlinson – a division of the multinational security organization most wanting to live down its reputation for losing felons contracted into its custody – who we come to fear most seeks to sweep under a runway the distressing Case of Mr Smith’s Missing Wheelchair.

' ... When the agent reached the gate, they discovered it was a WCHC passenger, and that the loaders had removed the wheelchair and taken it to the baggage hall, rather than leaving it at the aircraft as they should do, because it should be plainly obvious that a passenger will be needing it ... rang Ops and ask that they directly return it to stand 38 so that the agents (a second having been sent) would be able to assist the PRMs ... This is squarely at the fault of Menzies loaders who have repeatedly done this and ignored the fact that wheelchairs in the hold should be delivered to the jetty so that our agents can assist the passengers with thems ... I feel that any complaint should be directed to EasyJet and their handling agents.’

Within five hours, Craig Smyth, executive director of Menzies Aviation – its corporate roots in a chain of Scottish newsagents – is: 'Sorry to hear about your poor experience on arrival at Gatwick,but thanks for bringing it to my attention. We do try very hard to make the service work for all passengers, all of the time, but sometimes things do go wrong. We always try to learn from such events. Tim Willett, who runs our operation, will look into and let us know what went wrong and also what we are doing to make sure we avoid in the future.’

Happy May Day, Craig!

When we copy but emphasize the G4S allegation that a wheelchair going walkabout is squarely the fault of Menzies’ loaders who, it is reported, time and again fail to deliver to the jetty a passenger’s vital set of wheels that was airborne in the hold of the aircraft.

As a consequence, harrowing as well as costly, a disabled person is marooned aboard an aircraft for accumulative hours on end in the essential care and company of the landed flight’s captain.

When may we hear back from your Tim Willett?

To be continued! - http://www.blogsbody.co.uk