Frank Gardner, a war correspondent for the BBC, has publicly condemned LOT Polish Airlines after he was forced to crawl to the bathroom during a recent flight from Warsaw due to the absence of onboard wheelchair facilities. Posting a photo of his legs as he made his way along the cabin floor, Gardner expressed his frustration, "Wow. It’s 2024 and I’ve just had to crawl along the floor of this LOT Polish airline to get to the toilet. If you’re disabled and can’t walk, this is just discriminatory."The 63-year-old journalist, who was shot and paralysed by an al-Qaeda gunman in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, highlighted the airline's policy, which he described as outdated and unacceptable. While he praised the cabin crew for their apologetic and helpful attitude, he made it clear that the responsibility lies with the airline itself. "In fairness to the cabin crew, they were as helpful and apologetic as they could be. Not their fault; it’s the airline. I won’t be flying LOT again until they join the 21st century," he stated.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Gardner called the situation "outrageous," noting the absence of an onboard aisle chair, which would have allowed him to access the restroom more easily. He recounted his experience: “When I asked how I was supposed to go to the washroom, the crew said they would help me. But dragging someone to the loo is not feasible. I had to crawl on my backside along the floor — which wasn’t particularly clean — of the aircraft.”Gardner acknowledged the efforts of one steward who assisted him, but he emphasised the need for airlines to provide proper facilities for disabled passengers. "It’s not difficult to have an onboard aisle chair. These things fold up to the size of a pram, if not smaller, and they fit into an overhead locker or cupboard," he explained.The incident has sparked a wider conversation about accessibility and the treatment of disabled passengers in the airline industry.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
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