{
  "id": 1632425,
  "title": "Man ‘humiliated’ after being kicked off Virgin flight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/man-humiliated-after-being-kicked-off-virgin-flight-1632425",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T04:25:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Age",
    "slug": "the-age",
    "url": "https://www.theage.com.au/national/man-humiliated-after-being-kicked-off-virgin-flight-20260818-p60pf6.html?ref=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Disability advocate Shane Hryhorec was removed from a Virgin flight from Sydney to Adelaide. He uses a wheelchair with a portable electric motor and a service animal. Hryhorec said he had stored the motor without issue on three previous Virgin flights that week.\n\nThe issue arose when there was no space to store the motor under the seats in his row. According to ABC News, Hryhorec was instructed by cabin staff to store it there. The situation ended with him being taken off the flight. Hryhorec expressed feeling humiliated and described the experience as \"awful\" and \"discriminatory\".\n\nHryhorec has threatened legal action against Virgin. The airline said it is looking into the issue and reviewing its policies on storing portable wheelchair motors.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Disability advocate removed from Virgin flight over wheelchair motor dispute",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/disability-advocate-removed-from-virgin-flight-over-wheelchair-motor",
        "published": "2026-08-18T03:34:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "Man ‘humiliated’ after being kicked off Virgin flight",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/man-humiliated-after-being-kicked-off-virgin-flight",
        "published": "2026-08-18T04:25:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}