Disabled BBC journalist Frank Gardner has informed how an airline prevented him from utilizing a wheelchair on board – forcing him to crawl between the toilet and his seat.
The company’s safety correspondent, who was shot and paralysed by al-Qaeda gunmen in Saudi Arabia in 2004, has criticised LOT Polish Airways and vowed by no means to fly with them once more.
Mr Gardner, 63, posted in regards to the ordeal on X, previously Twitter, to his 125,000 followers – then spoke on BBC Breakfast this morning about what he referred to as the airline’s ‘inhumane’ method, as he urged them to ‘type it out’.
He shared {a photograph} of his legs on the ground of his flight, writing: ‘Wow. It’s 2024 and I’ve simply needed to crawl alongside the ground of this LOT Polish airline to get to the bathroom throughout a flight again from Warsaw as “we don’t have onboard wheelchairs. It is airline coverage”.
‘If you happen to’re disabled and you’ll’t stroll that is simply discriminatory.’
BBC safety correspondent Frank Gardner shared this {photograph} on X, previously Twitter, as he informed of being compelled to crawl on a flight after being prevented from utilizing a wheelchair
Talking on BBC Breakfast at the moment, Frank Gardner accused the airline of being ‘inhumane’ and urged them to ‘type it out’ as he informed viewers of his ordeal on the flight from Warsaw to London
LOT Polish Airways has apologised for Frank Gardner’s ‘distressing’ expertise on their flight
He added in a follow-up submit: ‘In equity to the cabin crew, they had been as useful and apologetic as they could possibly be. Not their fault, it is the airline. Will not be flying LOT once more till they be part of the twenty first century.’
And he blasted the airline’s method as ‘inhumane’ when speaking about his expertise on the London-bound flight on BBC Breakfast this morning.
Mr Gardner stated: ‘It’s outrageous by way of air journey that LOT, the Polish airline I travelled on from Warsaw final evening again to London, had no onboard aisle chair.
‘I stated, “Properly, how do you count on me to the toilet?” “Properly, we will help you.”
‘Properly, not likely, as a result of if anyone drags you to the toilet it’s too troublesome. I needed to crawl on my bottom alongside the ground – which wasn’t significantly clear – of the plane.
‘The cabin crew had been very embarrassed they usually had been as useful as they might – there was a very nice steward there who was implausible. He was in a position to take my legs.
‘However the level is, guys, it is not troublesome to have an onboard aisle chair. These items fold as much as the dimensions of a pram, if not smaller, they usually match into an overhead locker or into a cabinet.’
Many individuals supplied him assist in replies to his authentic submit on X, whereas expressing dismay in regards to the airline’s coverage.
One commenter stated: ‘Assume this airline must be challenged on it is incapacity rights accessibility programme. Extraordinary that this ought to be occurring in 2024.’
One other wrote: ‘Completely unbelievable this wasn’t made clear upfront so you might keep away from reserving. UK airports shouldn’t be promoting slots to this firm.’
Mr Gardner was additionally informed: ‘I hope what you’ve needed to undergo tonight will imply they modify their outdated coverage to a brand new coverage that mentions the phrase “dignity”. I’m sorry you needed to but once more discover the power to endure.’
Frank Gardner informed BBC Breakfast: ‘It’s outrageous by way of air journey that LOT, the Polish airline I travelled on from Warsaw final evening again to London, had no onboard aisle chair’
Frank Gardner has stated of the Polish airline concerned: ‘Will not be flying LOT once more till they be part of the twenty first century’
After being shot and left for lifeless in Saudi Arabia in June 2004, he returned to work 10 months later – showing right here on BBC Breakfast Information with Dermot Murnaghan and Natasha Kaplinsky
Different responses included ‘Completely appalling’, ‘Phrases fail’ and ‘That is truthfully surprising’, whereas there have been requires LOT Polish Airways to apologise.
Mr Gardner replied to at least one commenter by saying: ‘I do not perceive why an airline like that is allowed to fly out and in of UK airports. It might take nothing to repair this.’
And now the agency has stated it was ‘deeply sorry’ for Mr Gardner’s ‘distressing’ ordeal.
In an announcement to MailOnline, LOT insisted the airline did allow onboard wheelchairs – however solely on long-haul flights, although they’re investigating whether or not they could possibly be prolonged to short-haul journeys.
LOT stated: ‘We’re deeply sorry for the distressing expertise Mr Frank Gardner encountered on his latest flight with us. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and discomfort brought on by the shortage of an onboard wheelchair.
‘At the moment, onboard wheelchairs can be found on our Dreamliner plane. Nevertheless, on account of restricted area, our short-haul fleet doesn’t but have this facility.
‘We perceive the significance of accessibility and are actively testing options to equip our short-haul plane with onboard wheelchairs within the close to future.
‘As talked about on our web site, for long-haul flights, we offer onboard wheelchairs to help passengers in transferring across the cabin.
‘Moreover, our floor employees is at all times prepared to help passengers from check-in to boarding and from the plane to the bags declare space.
‘We deeply remorse the inconvenience Mr Gardner skilled and sincerely apologise for the misery brought on.
‘We’re dedicated to enhancing our companies to make sure all passengers have a cushty and dignified journey expertise.’
Social media customers supplied sympathy and assist after studying of Frank Gardner’s expertise on the LOT flight whereas there have been additionally requires the airline to apologise
Mr Gardner has been utilizing a wheelchair since being shot by al-Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia in 2004 whereas reporting because the BBC’s Center East correspondent
However Mr Gardner stated on BBC Breakfast: ‘The concept, oh yeah, we’re wanting into this, it is one thing we’ll contemplate – that may be a impolite phrase starting with B, as a result of I flew LOT earlier than in Could, from Tallinn, and I had the identical factor.
‘It is an smug and lazy perspective. Kind it out, LOT – you should not be flying within the twenty first century with out an onboard aisle chair.
‘It is inhumane to make passengers crawl to the toilet in your planes.’
A brand new marketing campaign referred to as ‘Rights For Flights’ was launched earlier this 12 months, with backers together with the charity Incapacity Rights UK and disabled TV presenter Sophie Morgan.
Supporters need the Civil Aviation Authority to be given new powers to advantageous airways and different teams for failing to take excellent care of disabled passengers.
They are saying many travellers undergo poor experiences corresponding to being left to attend too lengthy on a airplane after touchdown and having wheelchairs broken in transit.
Mr Gardner beforehand informed in June 2022 of being left stranded on an empty airplane at Gatwick as he slammed UK airports for his or her ‘persistently cr*p’ therapy of wheelchair customers.
He was compelled to attend on the plane from Madrid whereas passengers and Iberia Specific airline crew disembarked the airplane with out providing him help.
He stated that was the fifth time this had occurred to him since he started utilizing a wheelchair after being shot six instances by militants whereas reporting in Saudi Arabia.
In 2004, Mr Gardner and his cameraman Simon Cumbers had been working in Saudi Arabia, ending a bit for tv.
They had been shot six instances at shut vary by a gaggle of al-Qaeda sympathisers and Mr Cumbers was killed whereas Mr Gardner was left for lifeless.
Mr Gardner has spoken beforehand about being badly handled on planes and at airports, together with delays being helped to disembark after touchdown
Frank Gardner joined the BBC in 1995 and have become Center East correspondent 4 years later
Irish freelance cameraman Simon Cumbers, 36, was killed within the June 2004 shootings of him and Frank Gardner within the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh
His legs have minimal sensation from the knees down, whereas above the knee he can really feel them however can ‘barely transfer them’.
Regardless of his accidents, Mr Gardner – who had been the BBC’s Center East correspondent on the time of the capturing – returned to work and was awarded an OBE for companies to journalism in 2005.
He has continued to cowl tales in peril zones all over the world.
Adel Al-Dhubaiti, the person who murdered his colleague, was later caught and sentenced to dying, and executed in Saudi Arabia in January 2016.
