Japan carrier apologises to disabled man over tarmac stairs

A Japanese airline said Wednesday it has apologised for making a wheelchair user hoist himself up a staircase from the tarmac to board his flight. Hideto Kijima, who is paralysed from the waist down, faced the problem earlier this month while returning to Osaka from the southern island of Amami with friends. Vanilla Air told him before boarding June 5 that the small airport requires the use of stairs and has no lift to safely carry a disabled person onto the plane. Vanilla also refused to let his friends carry him in his wheelchair or separately. Vanilla said it has apologised to Kijima and that new lifts are being installed. The airline said that Amami is the only airport on Vanilla's 14 international and domestic routes without lifts for wheelchair users. <br/>