Courts / Dublin / Report
Air passenger wins €7.5K for being denied exit row seat over autism
Summary
An airline was ordered to pay €7,500 to a passenger who was denied an exit‑row seat he had booked for extra legroom after disclosing his autism. The Workplace Relations Commission found the airline had discriminated against him under the Equal Status Act and had harassed him by repeatedly asking him to explain his disability in front of other passengers. The passenger had requested special assistance in advance, citing difficulties with queuing and the need for space for his sleep‑apnea machine. When he arrived to check in for his return flight, the airline moved him out of the exit‑row seat, citing his disability. He was placed in the second row and could not move his legs freely. The airline's lawyers argued that safety regulations barred passengers with disabilities from exit‑row seats, but the tribunal concluded the regulations only restrict seating when a passenger's mobility poses a safety risk.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Air passenger wins €7.5K for being denied exit row seat over autism. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 18 March Other
- 2025-06-13 Publication
Why: An airline has been ordered to pay a passenger €7,500 for refusing to let him sit in an exit row seat he had booked specially for extra legroom because he disclosed that he was autistic. CNI source report
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