Weight limits on WestJet's power wheelchairs are leaving some Canadians stranded, advocates say.

Travelers and advocates say WestJet's rules banning some power wheelchairs from most flights discriminate against people living with disabilities.

The Calgary-based airline says on its website that it has a 300-pound weight limit for mobility aids on the majority of its aircraft, and that this limit precludes the use of many power wheelchairs.

Stephen Fletcher, a Manitoba resident and former member of parliament, said he has been flying WestJet for years, but last February he was told by an airline representative that he could not take his wheelchair on a flight from Winnipeg to Toronto because it was too heavy.

Get weekly health news

Get the latest medical news and health information every Sunday.

He was forced to use a separate wheelchair and developed pain and bedsores that required medical attention.

In a response to a regulatory complaint filed by Fletcher, WestJet said an engineering analysis reached the 300-pound limit last year and that accessibility regulations allow it to refuse to transport heavier mobility aids.

Devin Grimm, an attorney with the ARCH Disability Law Center, said the weight limit would effectively deny most custom power wheelchair users from air travel, and advocates point out that no other major North American airline maintains such a low weight limit for its jets.