Disabled BBC journalist Frank Gardner has instructed how an airline barred him from bringing his wheelchair on board – forcing him to crawl from the lavatory to 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.
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”.
‘When you’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 instructed of being pressured to crawl on a flight after being prevented from utilizing a wheelchair
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
LOT Polish Airways has apologised for Frank Gardner’s ‘distressing’ expertise on their flight
He added in a follow-up put up: ‘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 a part of the twenty first century.’
Many individuals supplied him help in reply whereas expressing dismay in regards to the airline’s coverage.
One commenter mentioned: ‘Assume this airline must be challenged on it is incapacity rights accessibility programme. Extraordinary that this must be occurring in 2024.’
One other wrote: ‘Completely unbelievable this wasn’t made clear upfront so you could possibly keep away from reserving. UK airports shouldn’t be promoting slots to this firm.’
Mr Gardner was additionally instructed: ‘I hope what you’ve got needed to undergo tonight will imply they modify their outdated coverage to a brand new coverage that mentions the phrase “dignity”.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.’
Different responses included ‘Completely appalling’, ‘Phrases fail’ and ‘That is truthfully stunning’, 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 could take nothing to repair this.’
And now the agency has mentioned it was ‘deeply sorry’ for Mr Gardner’s ‘distressing’ ordeal.
Frank Gardner has mentioned of the Polish airline concerned: ‘Will not be flying LOT once more till they be a 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
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 mentioned: ‘We’re deeply sorry for the distressing expertise Mr Frank Gardner encountered on his current flight with us. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and discomfort attributable to the dearth of an onboard wheelchair.
‘At the moment, onboard wheelchairs can be found on our Dreamliner plane. Nonetheless, as a result of restricted house, 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 triggered.
‘We’re dedicated to bettering our companies to make sure all passengers have a snug and dignified journey expertise.’
Social media customers supplied sympathy and help after studying of Frank Gardner’s expertise on the LOT flight whereas there have been additionally requires the airline to apologise
A brand new marketing campaign known as ‘Rights For Flights’ was launched earlier this yr, 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 tremendous airways and different teams for failing to take excellent care of disabled passengers.
They are saying many travellers endure poor experiences akin to being left to attend too lengthy on a aircraft after touchdown and having wheelchairs broken in transit.
Mr Gardner beforehand instructed in June 2022 of being left stranded on an empty aircraft at Gatwick as he slammed UK airports for his or her ‘constantly cr*p’ therapy of wheelchair customers.
He was pressured to attend on the plane from Madrid whereas passengers and Iberia Categorical airline crew disembarked the aircraft with out providing him help.
He mentioned that was the fifth time this had occurred to him since he started utilizing a wheelchair after being shot six occasions by militants whereas reporting in Saudi Arabia.
In 2004, Mr Gardner and his cameraman Simon Cumbers had been working in Saudi Arabia, ending a chunk for tv.
They had been shot six occasions at shut vary by a bunch 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 taking pictures – returned to work and was awarded an OBE for companies to journalism in 2005.
He has continued to cowl tales at risk zones world wide.
Adel Al-Dhubaiti, the person who murdered his colleague, was later caught and sentenced to demise, and executed in Saudi Arabia in January 2016.
