Mr Ross was awarded more than �1,000 compensation

Budget carrier Ryanair appealed against a London County Court ruling in January that airlines were responsible.

Bob Ross from Islington, north London, was awarded �1,336 after he challenged an �18 charge to use a wheelchair at Stansted Airport in Essex.

Ryanair claimed the airport owner BAA imposed the charge.

At the appeal hearing in November, Romie Tager QC, representing Ryanair, said the airline was prepared to absorb the cost of paying for someone to push a wheelchair through the airport even though this meant that, on the �10 one-way ticket to Perpignan which Mr Ross paid, the airline would make a loss.

Surcharge added

He said Ryanair had not charged Mr Ross for the wheelchair and pusher - it was the airport which had charged.

"The responsible authority should be the airport operator which at Stansted was a 'highly profitable' business which had made a �137m profit in the last year."

The airline was found to have breached the Disability Discrimination Act.

Ryanair has added a surcharge of 35p to tickets because of the ruling.

But the airline believes that the owner of the building that is responsible for disabled access.

Mr Ross was supported in his case against Ryanair and Stansted Airport by the Disability Rights Commission who are seeking compensation for 35 other people.

His compensation included the �36 cost of hiring the wheelchair at the inward and outward journeys to France, the �20 cost of the tickets and �1,000 for injury to his feelings.