Virgin Australia Apologises After Breaking Girl’s $33,000 Wheelchair
Virgin Australia apologised to the family of six-year-old Adelaide Tuimalealiifano after her specialist wheelchair was damaged on a flight from Townsville to…
Virgin Australia apologises after breaking Adelaide Tuimalealiifano’s $33,000 wheelchair on a flight from Townsville to Brisbane this week, leaving the six-year-old without her main mobility aid as she travelled for medical appointments.
Her father carried her through the Queensland Children’s Hospital after the family found the damage at Brisbane Airport. He later repaired the chair with hardware tools, but disability advocates say the incident points to a wider problem for passengers who rely on mobility equipment.
How was the wheelchair damaged?
A bracket on Adelaide’s specialist wheelchair had been twisted during the flight. Her mother, Amanda Tuimalealiifano, said the damage required considerable force.
“It actually took quite a significant force for that bracket to twist,” Amanda said.
Adelaide has multicentric carpotarsal osteolysis syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that leads to the loss of wrist and ankle bones. She can walk short distances, but mostly depends on her wheelchair, which is worth $33,000.
The family discovered the broken bracket after arriving in Brisbane. With the chair unusable, Adelaide’s father, Jaster, carried her through the hospital. He was able to fix it later, but her mother said other passengers might not have the same option.
“Someone's wheelchair is essentially their legs, and breaking a wheelchair is like breaking someone's legs,” Amanda said. She added that a passenger travelling alone who could no longer walk might be unable to leave an airport.
Why are advocates calling for mandatory reporting?
People With Disability Australia chief executive Megan Spindler-Smith said damage to personal mobility equipment was a long-standing issue. The organisation wants airlines to report incidents involving damaged or missing equipment, which would help identify how often they happen and their common causes.
“It's so common that I'm not sure how it can continue to happen,” Spindler-Smith said. They argued passengers need more than an apology when equipment is damaged.
Virgin Australia said it apologised to the family and provided immediate support and assistance. A spokesperson said the airline was committed to improving its processes for accessible and inclusive travel.
The family’s experience has drawn wider attention after Amanda shared it in a social media video watched almost 100,000 times. She said people responded with accounts of similar problems, while some disabled travellers told her they avoid flying because they fear damage to complex equipment they depend on.
“It is a systemic issue in the airline industry,” Amanda said.
Disability standards under discussion
Spindler-Smith said People With Disability Australia has been working with the federal government on proposed aviation disability standards. Public consultation on the draft standards closed earlier this month.
They want the standards to become practical, enforceable requirements that change airport procedures, with a focus on preventing damage before it occurs.
The wheelchair incident adds to previous cases involving Virgin Australia flights. The source reports incidents in 2017, two in 2023 and another two in 2024. In August, Shane Hryhorec was removed from a Virgin Australia flight in the Whitsundays over issues with storing his portable wheelchair motor.
“What really needs to change is the prevention of it happening,” Spindler-Smith said.
