A congressman was barred from his flight after airline staff thought his power wheelchair violated safety regulations

The Washington Post reported that the congressman was prevented from boarding a flight twice in a year because the airline staff thought the batteries in his wheelchair were unsafe.

Last month, when the congressman from Rhode Island, who is also a quadriplegic, planned to take a trip to Italy to visit military bases, the airline staff at the Boston Logan International Airport stopped him from passing the check-in counter and told him that the battery in his wheelchair couldn'

The Department of Defense called ahead of time to make sure his power wheelchair was allowed on the flight and had a letter from the manufacturer saying the wheelchair met federal and international rules.

There are exemptions for batteries in wheelchairs.

The congressman called the wheelchair's inventor to make sure his chair was safe. After a staff member brought an older wheelchair from home, he was not allowed to fly.

"I decided to share my frustrating travel experiences in hopes of raising awareness about an issue that is affecting countless airline passengers with disabilities across the country." It's wrong for airlines to prevent people with disabilities from using FAA- compliant mobility devices.

The company was "regretful" for the error and that there was a "misinterpretation of the technical guidelines," according to a spokesman for the airline.

There are complex and detailed rules and regulations when it comes to customers traveling with lithium batteries.

A person from the airline did not reply to a question from Insider.

Airlines need to do a better job of understanding the FAA guidelines for battery- powered wheelchairs. "Airlines should expect to be held accountable if they continue to discriminate against passengers with disabilities," he wrote.