'Why so cruel?' Video of paraplegic passenger crawling down aisle on AirAsia plane sparks outcry online

Two recent TikTok videos showing a man crawling down the aisle of an AirAsia plane have sparked a heated debate among netizens. 

The videos were posted by Eva Keliat on Thursday (Sept 29) showing the man, whom she describes as "paraplegic" grabbing onto the plane seats as he slowly shuffles down the aisle. 

"It's not your fault," he tells an air stewardess who tries to help. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@keliateva/video/7148739663782497538?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1[/embed]

In the video, Keliat said they had flown into Singapore from Jakarta via AirAsia on the same day.

She claimed that the airline expected her to pay $40 for an aisle wheelchair so that the man could get onto his personal wheelchair, which she said was just three meters away from his seat. 

In the second video, two AirAsia staff can be seen trying to help and lift the man. Again, he tells the staff: "Don't worry, it's not your fault." 

The air stewardess then replies apologetically, "Sorry sir" as the video cuts off. 

It is not known how Keliat is related to the man. 

Within a day, both her videos have garnered over 200,000 views each, and have received comments from netizens aghast at what they saw. 

One said it was "so sad" to see something like this happening, while another asked, "Why so cruel?" 

Another shared that he had a similar experience where his wheelchair-bound grandmother was not given a wheelchair on the plane. "I had to literally piggyback her to her seat," he wrote. 

On the flip side, there were a number of netizens who felt that AirAsia wasn't to blame, as their wheelchair service charges are stated on their website. 

One shared that they paid $40 for wheelchair assistance service for their paraplegic husband and they didn't have any issues with it. 

Another said that the cabin crew can be seen trying to help this passenger but he refused to be assisted. Another asked why the person taking the video didn't help.

AirAsia apologises

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, AirAsia said they have since reached out to the guest to "sincerely apologise", and will ensure an incident of this nature does not occur again. 

"We have procedures in place for the carriage of disabled or mobility impaired guests including the provision of an aisle wheelchair, which is highlighted during the booking process and can be booked in advance, at the time of booking to ensure a smooth experience," said Kesavan Sivanandam, the airline's Chief Airport and Customer Experience Officer. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Keliat for further comment. 

According to AirAsia's website, there are no additional charges for passengers who bring their own wheelchairs. 

Wheelchairs or mobility devices with no batteries are allowed on flights as unchecked baggage and may be used up to the aircraft door, after which they will be handed over to staff to be loaded in the cabin or aircraft hold. 

AirAsia also allows passengers to pre-book Special Needs Assistance (Wheelchair Service) up to four hours before their flight departure. The airline only allows a limited number of wheelchair services per flight. 

On the website, it says "reduced mobility" refers to quadriplegic (paralysed of all four limbs) or paraplegic passengers (paralysed from the waist down). 

For flights from Indonesia to Singapore, wheelchair services cost 120,000 IDR (S$11.38). 

ALSO READ: SIA under fire after failing to load passenger's custom-built wheelchair on Dubai flight

claudiatan@asiaone.com