Man denied boarding Cardiff Airport flight after row over medical vape

A man says he was "devastated" after being denied boarding for a Cardiff Airport flight following a row over his medicinal cannabis vape pen. Jason Bryant, 51, from Caerau, Maesteg, was travelling to Belfast to see a friend and said he would only need to use the vape in "extreme circumstances" but claims he was asked to hand it over during the flight.

Mr Bryant had a work-related accident in 2016 which resulted in him having a number of long-term physical and mental health conditions. "It's like being in a car crash," he said. "One day you're able to do everything and you're on top of the world and the next you can't kick a ball with your boy; it's hard to accept."

Mr Bryant manages his conditions with medicinal CBD and THC, delivered via an imported German vaporiser. "I don't leave the house without it," Mr Bryant said of the device. "It’s in my hand, it’s in my pocket, I draw a great deal of strength from just having it. It’s emotional support at the end of the day."

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While at Cardiff Airport on Wednesday, April 24 Mr Bryant was being escorted to the tarmac using a wheelchair when he got his vape out in a waiting area. He says he was soon asked to hand the device over to the crew, to be given back only at the captain's discretion. The airline, Aer Lingus, since said Mr Bryant was "welcome" to board the flight if he refrained from vaping during it but did not clarify whether he was asked to physically hand over the vape.

The flight was ultimately delayed by 45 minutes while Mr Bryant communicated with the airline crew via Cardiff Airport's staff, in what he said became a "circus show" around him. Ultimately he didn't board the plane, which he said left him "devastated."

"I told the gentleman standing there I was not going to use it on board," he said, "only in an extreme circumstance. My conditions are not life-threatening but in an extreme case they're on par with having an epileptic fit... I am pretty much paralysed on the floor. I'm not talking about me jumping on the plane and just going ‘I’m going to get on with it’ [and vape].

"I'm not some stoner at the end of the day. I've worked all my life, I've always grafted, and I very rarely asked for handouts until I had my accident, that’s for sure." For the latest Bridgend news, sign up to our newsletter here

Mr Bryant says he doesn't leave the house without "a lot of paperwork" including his prescription and a copy of the guidance around the Equality Act in relation to medical cannabis. Medicinal cannabis has been available on prescription in Wales since 2018 and Mr Bryant claims he should have been allowed to bring the device onboard as it is medication for a disability.

"If they would have been aware of medicinal cannabis it would never have blown up into a big thing in front of everyone," he said. "I've spent so many hours on email facing ignorance trying to get access to venues, places and private caravan hires for a holiday.

"I always try and be kind and considerate wherever I go. I belong to a local men’s shed and I’m accepted there by all of the blokes but I still go and medicate outside because I’m considerate like that. If I’m on a plane and a medical emergency arrives, what do you expect me to do?"

A spokesperson for Aer Lingus Regional (operated by Emerald Airlines) said: "Smoking and vaping onboard Aer Lingus flights are strictly prohibited. The safety of our passengers is our utmost priority.

"The use of such devices in the cabin could pose a risk to our crew and passengers. The passenger in question was welcome to board the aircraft on the condition that he refrained from vaping during the one-hour flight to Belfast. However, as the passenger refused to comply with this condition, he was subsequently denied boarding."

Regarding the notion that Mr Bryant may have been treated differently for his disability, the airline maintained: "Any passenger who violates our explicit no-smoking and vaping policy will be refused boarding." Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android.