Despite the deeply troubling situation, Gardner acknowledged the helpfulness and apology offered by the cabin crew, emphasising that the blame lies squarely with the airline.
Gardner took to X, expressing his frustration and disappointment over the airline’s outdated policy.
New Delhi: Seasoned BBC journalist Frank Gardner, who lost his legs in a 2004 war reporting attack, faced a humiliating and discriminatory experience on a recent LOT Polish Airlines flight, highlighting the shocking lack of accessibility for disabled passengers in the aviation industry.
While returning from Warsaw, Gardner found himself needing to use the toilet. To his dismay, the airline crew informed him that onboard wheelchairs were not provided, leaving him with no option but to crawl across the cabin floor.
Gardner took to X, expressing his frustration and disappointment over the airline’s outdated policy. “Wow. It’s 2024 and I’ve just had to crawl along the floor of this LOT Polish airline to get to the toilet,” he wrote, emphasizing the discriminatory nature of this policy.
Wow. It’s 2024 and I’ve just had to crawl along the floor of this LOT Polish airline to get to the toilet during a flight back from Warsaw as “we don’t have onboard wheelchairs. It’s airline policy”. If you’re disabled and you can’t walk this is just discriminatory. pic.twitter.com/aFuxo89DR5
— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) September 30, 2024
Despite the deeply troubling situation, Gardner acknowledged the helpfulness and apology offered by the cabin crew, emphasising that the blame lies squarely with the airline. He vowed not to fly LOT again until they upgrade their policies to meet the standards of the 21st century. “Not their fault, it’s the airline. Won’t be flying A LOT again until they join the 21st century,” he said.
This incident sparked outrage on social media, with users expressing their disgust and disbelief that such discriminatory practices could still exist in 2024. Many pointed out the need for airlines to provide adequate accessibility for all passengers, highlighting the lack of basic accommodations for wheelchair users.
One X user wrote” Would it be so hard to make a wheelchair that runs along the same gunnels that the trolleys do, and can lock in place if necessary so that wheelchair users can get to and from their seats? Pretty sure they would only need one per aircraft”.
Some suggested simple solutions like creating specialised wheelchairs that can navigate the cabin passageways, while others advocated for mandatory regulations requiring airlines to provide proper accommodations for disabled passengers.
“Reading this thread all I can do is agree with almost all comments. Airlines flying in and out of UK should be mandated to provide appropriate provision for ALL passengers, and going to the loo in a comfortable way has to be at the top of the list!”.
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