LOT has said its policy is not to keep wheeled chairs in the aisle of an aircraft.
BBC News safety correspondent Frank Gardner was forced to crawl along the floor of a plane to get to the toilet during a flight from Warsaw to London. The journalist described the experience as extremely physically uncomfortable and humiliating.
Gardner wrote about this in a column for BBC News.
“When I flew back to London from Warsaw on Monday, I had to crawl along the floor of the plane to get to the toilet. I have been paralyzed since I was shot by al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago. My experience on that flight was extremely physically uncomfortable and humiliating,” the publication says.
He added that it was very humiliating to be dragged along the floor of the plane in a suit in front of others passengers.
As Gardner explained, LOT, a Polish airline that flies to and from London's Heathrow Airport, has stated that its policy is not to keep wheelchairs in the aisle of an airplane. The correspondent called this unacceptable for passengers with disabilities, since these mobility aids are smaller than a pram and can be easily folded and stored in a closet or on an overhead shelf.
At the same time, British Airways, Easyjet and other airlines that the journalist recently flew with have wheeled seats on board.
Gardner expressed his belief that this “policy” of LOT is wrong, but it is not difficult to fix.
“It is 2024, not 1970, and it shocks me that airlines are allowed into British airports that are essentially saying: “If you can't walk, you can't use the toilet on our planes,” Gardner emphasized.
LOT told the BBC that they “apologise for the unfortunate experience” and “for the inconvenience and discomfort caused by the lack of a wheelchair on board”. The airline explained that due to “space constraints” there are no wheelchairs on board on short-haul flights, but the company understands “the importance of accessibility” and is “actively testing ways to provide wheelchairs on board on short-haul flights”.
Gardner called LOT's statement unconvincing, because in May the journalist flew on a flight from Tallinn to London with the airline, and the same thing happened there. The ground staff were adamant that the plane should have such equipment.
“In contrast, on Monday's flight, the cabin crew were fantastic. They were embarrassed, apologetic and helpful. They encouraged me to complain about the situation because they saw how wrong it was,” the reporter said.
He recalled experiencing something similar 12 years ago on Kenya Airlines. After Gardner's statement, the airline resolved the issue. The journalist was surprised that the issue had to be raised again.
According to the man, the UK pays great attention to protecting the rights of people with disabilities. But Gardner called it “disgraceful” that disabled passengers flying out of British airports were still being discriminated against in this way.
Incidentally, a Delta Airlines plane in the US was forced to return minutes after takeoff because passengers were bleeding from their noses and ears.
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