Pilot bars wheelchair travelers from plane

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MOSCOW, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A pilot refused to let several wheelchair-bound Russians board a flight to Germany to attend an accessibility seminar, a delegation member said.

State Duma deputy and delegation member Vladimir Krupennikov said the 34-member delegation was to depart from Moscow on an AirBerlin flight to Dusseldorf, Germany, Monday, but the pilot refused to fly with more than two wheelchair users on board, citing AirBerlin's safety regulations, RIA Novosti reported.

Eleven group members, including six wheelchair users, weren't able to board that flight and had to find another to Dusseldorf, said Krupennikov, who uses a wheelchair.

The passengers left behind are considering suing AirBerlin for damages, Krupennikov said. He said the airline knew for a month that a large group of people with special needs would be flying Monday and gave written authorization.

RIA Novosti said the carrier had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday afternoon.

AirBerlin typically accommodates people with special needs, and Monday's incident may have resulted from a "misunderstanding," Alexander Lomakin-Rumyantsev, head of the All-Russia Society for the Disabled, said.