XPost: alt.airports.uk.edinburgh   
   From: drmayr@btinternet.com   
      
   Rather proves the point all along that Mr O'Leary has been making.  Now the   
   law judges that BAA should share 50% of the cost.  Well done Ryanair for   
   sticking to their guns even if they are only getting half of their costs   
   back.   
      
      
   Doug   
      
      
      
      
   "fox1"  wrote in message   
   news:v63is0pqgbdkic7a1nmio79e5frlfp3dbl@4ax.com...   
   > Source: Telegraph   
   >   
   > Paul Marston   
   >   
   > The airports company BAA was found guilty of discrimination against   
   > disabled passengers yesterday and ordered to pay a half share of the   
   > cost of providing wheelchair assistance at Stansted.   
   >   
   > The Court of Appeal overturned a county court decision that the   
   > no-frills airline Ryanair should bear the whole £18 charge, and said   
   > the two companies should also split the £1,336 compensation awarded   
   > at an earlier hearing to a cerebral palsy sufferer, Bob Ross, who   
   > was made to pay for a wheelchair before taking a flight to France   
   > last year.   
   >   
   > Ryanair is the biggest airline at Stansted but one of only two to   
   > refuse to reimburse BAA for wheelchair aid for the half-mile journey   
   > from check-in desk to departure gate. The Irish carrier said that   
   > the cost was nearly double the £10 pre-tax price of Mr Ross's flight   
   > to Perpignan, and argued that airport owners took responsibility for   
   > wheelchair fees at 87 of the 93 airports to which it flew.   
   >   
   > Two of the remaining five exceptions, Gatwick and Edinburgh, are   
   > also run by BAA, which made profits of £540 million last year   
   > against Ryanair's £150 million.   
   >   
   > Lord Justice Brooke ruled that Stansted Airport Ltd, a subsidiary of   
   > BAA, and Ryan-air were equally responsible and both guilty of   
   > breaching the Disability Discrimination Act. He said that Stansted's   
   > liability in the case arose "because they failed to recognise that   
   > they had important responsibilities under the Act which simply were   
   > not being fulfilled by anyone once Ryan-air had decided to break   
   > away from the industry's customary practice in their pursuit of a   
   > cheaper service for their clientele''.   
   >   
   > Outside the court, the airline said that it would halve the 50p   
   > "wheelchair levy" introduced on all fares after the original hearing   
   > in January. A spokesman said the ruling "vindicated" the decision to   
   > appeal. He added: "Ryanair will continue to lower the cost of air   
   > travel for all passengers and it is not unreasonable that the very   
   > rich owners of terminal buildings such as BAA Stansted should be   
   > responsible for providing free wheelchair access.''   
   >   
   > The airport operator apologised to Mr Ross for not doing more to   
   > prevent the unfair treatment. It said it would take steps to ensure   
   > all airlines treated passengers with reduced mobility equally with   
   > all other customers. The Disability Rights Commission, which helped   
   > Mr Ross bring the case, said the decision signals that "disabled   
   > people will no longer put up with a second-class service".   
   > --   
   >   
   > View my aircraft pictures:   
   > "http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=1753"   
      
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