Shane Hryhorec, a 41-year-old C5 incomplete quadriplegic and travel blogger, was removed from a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Adelaide on August 18, 2026, after airline staff said his battery-powered SmartDrive mobility aid could not be safely stored in the cabin. The incident, which Hryhorec documented in a TikTok video viewed over 8 million times, has prompted an apology and review from the airline.
Dispute Over Seat and Storage
Hryhorec, who uses a wheelchair and travels with a service dog, boarded the flight with his SmartDrive device, a removable battery-powered unit that pushes his wheelchair. He had flown with Virgin Australia four times in the previous week without issues. However, on this flight, new restrictions on lithium-ion batteries meant the SmartDrive could not be placed in overhead storage and had to be stowed at his feet. The middle seat he was allocated had no underseat storage, blocked by the business class seat in front, and his service dog occupied the neighboring footwell.
“There was a barrier in front of me, which meant there was absolutely nowhere for a SmartDrive or a bag to go, and then in the (aisle) seat next to me was a passenger,” Hryhorec told 7News. The SmartDrive has omnidirectional wheels, so it would not have stayed in place during the flight and could have potentially hit his dog.
Confrontation and Removal
The airline instructed Hryhorec to either put the device under the seat in front of him, which was impossible, or get off the plane. The 20-minute back-and-forth delayed the flight for all passengers. Hryhorec described feeling “like a burden” and “embarrassed” as the situation unfolded in front of other passengers. “All of this was happening whilst people were watching,” he said. “It was just … so undignifying as well, and it just truly makes you feel disabled.”
In the TikTok video, Hryhorec can be heard telling staff he had flown three times in the last four days, to which one attendant replied, “I don’t believe that.” Another staff member said, “They’ve done the wrong thing then, just to accommodate you.” The customer experience manager, Jenna, told him, “It’s your battery sir, it needs to go under your seat,” even after he explained there was no space. A staff member attempted to strap the device under an empty seat, but another attendant said that wasn’t possible.
Hryhorec reminded staff that he had not chosen the seat, but he did not need to keep the mobility aid near him during the flight. The crew member asked if he was willing to move to a smaller seat with less room, but he said he didn’t care as long as he could sit with his service dog. Realizing the dog would have to move with him, the attendant said she was “unable to delay the flight anymore” and began discussing removing him.
Aftermath and Airline Response
After being “booted off,” Hryhorec was placed on a later flight, with the SmartDrive stored in a bag in an empty neighboring footwell. He told 7News that the experience made it clear that “Virgin Australia just doesn’t care about people with disabilities” and that the airline doesn’t want disabled passengers on their planes. He said he is considering reaching out to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Virgin Australia released a statement confirming it was aware of the incident. A spokesperson said: “Virgin Australia remains committed to providing an accessible and inclusive travel experience for all our guests. While the safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority, we are reviewing the circumstances of yesterday’s experience to understand whether there are opportunities to better identify specific seating or stowage requirements in advance and how our teams can support guests in similar circumstances. We have reached out to Mr Hryhorec to find out more about his experience and we are reviewing the circumstances that led to this unfortunate outcome for one of our guests.”
Hryhorec has not commented publicly since the incident but has not ruled out legal action.
