Latest News

BBC reporter slams Polish airline after being forced to crawl to toilet due to wheelchair ban

BBC reporter slams Polish airline, was forced to crawl to toilet due to wheelchair ban

On Tuesday (1 Oct), BBC reporter Frank Gardner took to X to criticise LOT Polish Airlines for not having onboard wheelchairs due to “airline policy”.

He was flying from Warsaw, Poland, to Heathrow, UK when he had to crawl across the floor of the plane to reach the toilet.

Gardner has been paralysed from the knees down for 20 years after being shot by al-Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia.

Following the mortifying incident, he vowed not to fly with LOT again “until they join the 21st century”.

His post has since garnered 8.7 million views and 143,000 likes.

BBC reporter calls experience “quite degrading”

In a BBC article, Gardner described the ordeal as “physically deeply uncomfortable” and “quite degrading”.

“It was humiliating to have to shuffle along the floor of an aircraft in front of other passengers in my suit,” he expressed.

Source: @FrankRGardner on X

Gardner noted that the airline said it was not its policy to carry onboard aisle chairs.

He deemed this “unacceptable for disabled passengers” since the chairs are compact, foldable, and can easily fit in a cupboard or overhead locker.

He emphasised that every other airline he had flown with recently had such chairs onboard.

 

Gardner argued that this “shouldn’t be difficult to fix”, demanding the policy be changed immediately.

This is 2024, not 1970, and I find it extraordinary that an airline is allowed to fly in and out of British airports with a policy that effectively says ‘if you can’t walk, you can’t go to the toilet on our planes’.

LOT Polish airline apologises for the “distressing experience”

Speaking to the BBC, LOT Polish Airlines said it was “deeply sorry” for the “distressing experience” and the “inconvenience and discomfort” caused by the lack of an onboard wheelchair.

They explained that their policy against onboard wheelchairs on short-haul flights was due to “limited space.”

However, the airline acknowledged “the importance of accessibility” and said they are actively testing solutions to equip their short-haul aircraft with onboard wheelchairs “in the near future”.

However, Gardner said the response is unacceptable, highlighting that his recent long-haul flight from Estonia to London via LOT Polish Airlines also lacked onboard wheelchairs.

He added that the airline’s ground staff were “uncompromising” and dismissed the idea of needing this facility on the plane.

Despite this, he called LOT’s cabin staff on his 1 Oct flight “fantastic”, adding that they were “embarrassed, apologetic and as helpful as they could be” regarding the situation.

“They encouraged me to complain about this as they could see how wrong it was,” Gardner wrote.

Also read: Woman returning to China from Changi for father’s death anniversary told plane was full, Jetstar apologises with S$150 voucher

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from @FrankRGardner on X

Kim Tan

Kim likes thrifting, dressing up, and telling people how little her outfits cost.

Recent Posts

Nearly 20 cats abandoned in Bedok flat filled with rubbish, some injured after jumping from windows

Some sustained injuries after jumping from windows, while others starved to death.

23 Dec 2024, 9:52 am

Continuous heavy traffic expected at S’pore-JB checkpoints till end of 2024: ICA

A record of more than 553,000 travellers crossed both checkpoints on 13 Dec.

22 Dec 2024, 7:25 pm

H5N1 poses ‘highest risk’ of becoming next pandemic, S’pore health authorities monitoring situation

There has been no year-end Covid-19 wave, as had been expected.

22 Dec 2024, 6:42 pm

Wagyu beef worth S$5,700 found in car entering JB from S’pore, M’sian driver arrested

The beef was imported without a veterinary health certificate and halal certification.

22 Dec 2024, 5:40 pm

Long queue forms at Jalan Besar Stadium for tickets to ASEAN Championship semi-final

One fan started queueing as early as 7am.

22 Dec 2024, 4:50 pm

Toys“R”Us in Japan sends parcels in plain boxes before Christmas, praised for protecting ‘Santa’s surprise’

The company made the change after parents said they wanted to make sure their gifts…

22 Dec 2024, 4:36 pm