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A man who dragged himself into a terminal at Luton Airport in London after his self-propelled wheelchair was left on a plane sued him.
A paraplegic, Justin Levene, arrived at the airport in 2017 and discovered that his custom-built, self-propelled wheelchair had been left behind.
The international wheelchair athlete told BBC airport staff that he had been asked to push him through the terminal on a high-back wheelchair, which he had rejected as degrading.
He added that staff had also insisted that he would need to be attached, which, he feared, could result in a pressure sore.
Levene asked for a motorized stroller, but Luton Airport did not have one.
Instead, he felt that he had no choice but to drag himself on the ground for hundreds of meters.
At the end of the incident, which was filmed, Levene seated himself on a luggage cart and pushed himself to his taxi.
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He is now suing the airport, claiming that the incident had left him "humiliated" and that the staff had "not shown empathy for what was going on. ".
"There should be appropriate equipment at each airport," he told the BBC.
"If something happens, no one should be put in the position where they have to crawl into the airport or drag themselves to the ground."
Levene received support from Frank Gardner, a BBC journalist who also spoke about his stalled experiences at airports.
Levene's lawyer, Sue Willman, told the BBC that the case was not about money but about "access to justice".
Luton Airport defended its actions, saying Levene had declined all offers of help.
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"After discovering that Mr. Levene's flight had arrived without his wheelchair, our teams worked tirelessly to find a solution, offering Mr. Levene a wheelchair assisted temporary replacement," the statement said.
"Mr. Levene declined all offers of assistance because he found them unacceptable.
"While we apologize if Mr. Levene was dissatisfied with the service he received, we are satisfied that our agents and staff have done their utmost in difficult circumstances."
Other British and international airports offer self-propelled wheelchairs to passengers, as do some airlines.
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