A disabled passenger says he was forced to slide down airport stairs on his backside so he didn't miss his flight.
Shimon Kaye claims he had no other choice because a worker at Manchester Airport who was supposed to help him onto the plane arrived too late.
The 67-year-old, who has diabetes, uses a wheelchair or walking frame to get around after having part of his left foot amputated eight years ago partly because of his condition.
Mr Kaye told the Manchester Evening News he became "frustrated" as the worker struggled to operate a special wheelchair lift, so he decided to slide down about 20 stairs, leaving him "humiliated".
The holidaymaker, from Bolton, said: "We arrived in good time but nothing was happening. Time was going on and I was worried about missing my plane as there were only 20 minutes to go to departure.
"I can see the plane and everybody is on board. It should be a 30 second job to operate this lift but it must have taken him ten minutes.
"All he had to do was swipe his card and punch in a code. I don't know if he had forgotten the code. By now the last call for passengers has gone out.
"I was getting so frustrated that I was going to miss the plane so I decided to get my walking stick and sit myself down on the stairs and slide down on the stairs.
"There must have been 20 stairs. I held onto the banister and held onto my walking stick. I slid down on my backside until I got to the bottom."
Dad-of-one Mr Kaye said he arrived at Manchester Airport more than two hours before the September 5 flight to Venice with his wife and carer Marie.
The couple were heading to the Italian canal city to board a cruise around the Mediterranean to celebrate Mrs Kaye's 60th birthday.
But the worker's late arrival and problems with the lift almost made them miss the flight, Mr Kaye said.
Mr Kaye said the lift was working by the time he got to the bottom of the stairs.
He declined the wheelchair for the last 50 yards to the plane and struggling painfully to the plane with the help of his wife, he said.
A Ryanair flight attendant helped him climb the stairs into the aircraft.
To make matters worse, the "young lad" from special assistance repeatedly called him by the wrong name - Mr Crocker - instead of Mr Kaye, he claims.
He said the service provided to disabled passengers is "brilliant", but he was "ashamed" of Manchester Airport.
Mr Kaye said: "I was just so angry. My wife helps me with the Ryanair staff to get up the stairs. I'm in absolute agony.
He added: "When we go away, the service in other countries is brilliant. This is not a good advert for Manchester Airport.
"Nobody seems to care. They haven't got a clue. I'm ashamed of Manchester Airport to be honest with you."
Mr Kaye said the service at Italy's Treviso Airport was "fantastic" and an ambulift was waiting to make sure he didn't have to use the stairs.
He claims he encountered the same problem when he flew back to Manchester.
He said the ambulift passed the plane twice but didn't stop to help him, and an airline official had to help him down the stairs.
ABM Aviation, which assists disabled passengers at Manchester Airport, apologised and promised to investigate.
