On an August flight from Vancouver to Las Vegas, Rodney and Deanna Hodgins reported the incident.

The airline failed her husband “in every way”, according to Ms Hodgins.

The has contacted Air Canada for comment.

The incident was described by Ms Hodgins in an interview with

Her husband, who has spastic cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair, was not helped off the plane by Air Canada crew members.

Airlines usually provide aisle chairs to help passengers with limited mobility exit the plane safely.

According to Ms Hodgins, no such assistance was offered, and a crew member told the couple that Mr Hodgins would have to get to the front of the plane on his own.

“They made it very clear that we had to get off the plane because they had to turn it around,” said Ms Hodgins.

Our first reaction was to think it was a joke, but afterward, we were flabbergasted.

As she helped her husband exit the plane, eight cleaning crew members, two flight attendants, and the captain and co-captain watched.