Italy's national Paralympic powerchair football team was denied boarding at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Tuesday after EasyJet declared its Airbus A320 could carry a maximum of five wheelchairs, blocking the entire delegation from travelling to Glasgow. The airline notified the squad at 10:15 — just 100 minutes before the scheduled 11:55 departure — that the six athletes and their specialised sports wheelchairs could not all be accommodated.
The Italian Paralympic Powerchair Sport Federation said it had secured authorisation from EasyJet back in April 2026 to transport all six athletes along with their daily and sport wheelchairs. The airline proposed splitting the squad and sending sports equipment on a separate flight to Edinburgh, an offer the delegation rejected.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority has opened an investigation into potential violations of European Union regulations on passenger mobility rights for people with disabilities. The Italian Paralympic Committee announced legal action seeking damages exceeding €20,000 and called for binding rules and sanctions.