00:08Shane Hihoric filmed himself being taken off a crowded plane, having boarded the Sydney
00:13to Adelaide flight with his service dog, removed he says when a portable electric wheelchair
00:18motor couldn't be stowed under the seat in front of him.
00:22I can't put my bag there, I'm not going to have a smart drive roll around with my dog.
00:27It made me feel humiliated, it made me feel so small and it's just awful that this level
00:33of discrimination is occurring in the year 2026.
00:36Mr Hihoric says he'd taken three earlier flights that week with no issue and had previously
00:42been allowed to store the device in an overhead locker, but on this occasion cabin crew wouldn't
00:48allow that.
00:49After I got off the plane I was at a breakdown point, I was literally about to burst into
00:53tears.
00:54I couldn't believe that this was actually happening.
00:57Virgin Australia says it has reached out to Mr Hihoric to find out more about his experience
01:03and is reviewing the circumstances that led to what it calls an unfortunate outcome.
01:08In a statement it says Virgin Australia remains committed to providing an accessible and inclusive
01:14travel experience for all our guests and will seek to understand whether there are opportunities
01:20to better identify specific seating or stowage requirements in advance.
01:25I feel that Virgin Australia just doesn't care about people with disabilities and that needs
01:29to change.
01:30Mr Hihoric, who was allowed onto a later Virgin flight in a different seat, says he's lodged
01:36a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
01:42He's lodged in an agreement that certainly makes an interview for her her husband.
01:42I think that she does seem another great meeting, to let us know if she's are free.
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