I feel the airport should be responsible for providing access to aircraft, after all abled bodied people are not charged to use moving walkways etc.
Perhaps the solution would be to provide wheel chairs on loan from a customer services desk at the airport free of charge for use by the passenger. Many shopping centres have this sort of arrangement.
If the passenger then needs to board an aircraft by stairs, as the airline chooses not to pay for an airbridge, then the airline needs to cover arrangements for the passenger to board. ( Has anyone had experince of using one of these -
http://www.alber.co.uk/new/mobility/...max_mainU2.asp - if so please PM me I am doing some research.)
However if the passenger needs someone to push the chair for them and is not travelling with a companion able or willing to help then a small fee would be resonable.
If this is not resonable where do you draw the line?