London, Oct 8 (IANS) An increasing number of air travellers are faking disabilities to skip queues at British airports, a media report said Monday.
Support can be requested at the time of booking, or during check-in, but passengers are not required to present proof of disability, prompting unscrupulous able-bodied travellers to exploit the policy, The Telegraph reported.
The practice is becoming so common that airline staff have coined the phrase "miracle flights" to describe how some travellers require a wheelchair to board the aircraft, but depart without it, according to the daily.
"I've seen people sail through security in wheelchairs, then watched them wandering around the shops before being driven to the gate," a Birmingham airport worker said.
The ISS World, which provides public safety assistance at Stansted airport, said the number of requests had increased annually by eight to 10 percent in recent years.
