My complaint:
Airport Manager
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
Dear SirMadam
Rude Discriminatory treatment received at Sydney Airport International arrivals
My wife Marie and I returned to Sydney by UL606 on 31 Dec 2022 about 5.00pm. Boarding Pass seat Nos. F62H F62K. My wife had a knee injury and my GP completed a form requesting wheelchair assistance. My wife too completed a form and assistance was granted and ed in the ticket. On our return to Sydney (I cannot say the Gate) we left the aircraft walking very slowly via the aircraft and building connecting tube up to the building where another tube connected to the building. There was a young female Chinese looking officer and I said, my wife is authorised a wheel chair and asked how she could get one. She advised us to walk another about 100 meters to the other end and chairs are provided there. I saw few others being wheeled from the other passenger tube and also a few wheelchairs parked on the side in a narrow area. I pleaded that my wife can collapse half way and asked if she would take responsibility if anything bad happens. She said keep walking.
There was a male officer about 3 meters away closer to the point where the other tube joined the building. He shouted at me saying “This is Australia, learn to talk, Don’t harass, wheel chair is only a service and we are not legally obliged to provide” I said “I am Australian Citizen and have lived here for over 25 years, I know the rules and colour discrimination too. Can you provide your name please” He said “No” Then I said “ok I’ll take a photo of yours”. With this he subdued a little and pulled a wide wheelchair from the narrow area where few were parked and requested my wife to sit. I noticed the female officer missing and then saw her walking towards us about 20-30 meters away from the direction that we had to go. She came up to us and was ready to wheel my wife in the chair. I left her hand luggage between her feet on the leg rest as we did in Sydney airport on our departure and Colombo airport on our arrival and return. Since my wife was taken care of, I kept walking to electronically scan my passport leaving he passport with her.
Later my wife informed me that the male officer asked my wife to keep the hand luggage on her knees as the chair would break. My wife had said she has a knee injury and cannot do that. The chair being a wide wheelchair wife had managed to keep her bag on her side and partly on her lap.
I am aware that using wheelchair assistance at the airport is free, and airports are legally required to provide these services to those who need them. If this is not the case please email me the rules relating to wheelchairs.
I kindly request you to investigate this complaint and take remedial action so that this will not happen to others in the future. When I related my experience to a friend he said how his wife who couldn’t walk was left at the luggage collection belt and they removed the wheelchair.
If this is Australia and the conduct of the male staffer is unacceptable. Thank you
Kind regards
Hemal Perera
Suggested solution:
The male and female staffers warned with some training provided to them on the services to passengers and how they must address issues so that such incidents may not happen again
