23 hours Ago By Gaurav Joshi
While passengers with special needs, such as those traveling with medical devices, often have incident-free flights, occasionally, this could create issues with airline staff for various reasons. Recently, a passenger was asked to deboard a Frontier Airlines flight because of her Wearable Cardiac Defibrillator. Passenger removed from flight because of medical device On March 31, a woman traveling on a Frontier Airlines flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) was asked to leave the aircraft because of a medical device she was carrying.
According to a report by Click2Houston , Tonya Roehl was traveling with her husband on flight 4181 to Phoenix, Arizona. She was recently diagnosed with a heart condition that requires her to have a Wearable Cardiac Defibrillator (WDC). It’s a portable device that monitors a person’s heart condition and, if necessary, delivers electrical shocks to regulate the heartbeat.
Naturally, it was important for Roehl to have it with her at all times. However, the device posed a problem for Frontier Airlines’ staff, who informed Roehl that she couldn’t travel with it and had to leave the aircraft. Flight crew said the equipment was not approved According to the report, Roehl had informed the airline’s ticket agents as well as the TSA about her medical equipment.
However, the problem started once she boarded the plane. She’s quoted as saying, “Once on plane they asked questions about it then proceeded to remove me and my husband from the flight stating it was not approved medical equipment. I offered to remove the device and its batteries, which I was then told my device, even with no battery in it, was not allowed on the plane even if it was not being used or in working order.
They said the battery was somehow dangerous.” During her conversation with the airline’s employee, Roehl was told that the device was not on the approved list. When she offered to remove the battery from the equipment, she was told that it was not good enough as the device would still be in the aircraft.
Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying. However, the manufacturer of the medical device, Zoll Medical, says that it is safe to be carried on aircraft and has been cleared for air travel. Click2Houston quotes a company’s spokesperson as saying, “The LifeVest® Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator can be safely worn by patients traveling by airplane.
We have documentation related to traveling with LifeVest, which we provide to patients upon request.” Roehl was eventually removed from the flight. Click2Houston quotes a Frontier Airlines spokesperson as saying, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We are looking into this to more fully understand what happened. While we review the matter, we are reaching out to the customer to seek additional information from their perspective as well as to offer a refund as a customer service gesture.” Simple Flying has also contacted the airline for more information.
Incident with United Airlines The Frontier Airlines incident comes just weeks after another passenger had an unpleasant experience on a United Airlines flight . She was traveling with her two-year-old son, who was on a ventilator and a tracheostomy tube. United’s flight attendant asked her to remove the devices from her son in preparation for takeoff.
But she told them that those machines were critical for her son because "they are keeping him alive." The situation escalated to the point where even the captain got involved. Ultimately, the flight left after a delay of about an hour and United later apologized for any frustration the passenger may have experienced.
When it comes to medical devices, the FAA and airlines have their own guidelines about dos and don’ts. While in most cases there are no problems, it’s always best to check the airline’s websites for policies regarding medical equipment. It’s also a good idea to carry a written statement from a doctor if possible and to inform the relevant airport and airline employees about any medical devices to avoid issues later.
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