As a person with paralysis, I was forced to crawl on the floor of a plane to use the toilet during a flight back to London from Warsaw. This uncomfortable and degrading experience reminded me of the challenges disabled passengers face while travelling, which is much smaller compared to the horrors faced by people in conflict zones. Nevertheless, it is unacceptable for airlines to lack onboard aisle chairs for disabled passengers.
Despite other airlines standardizing aisle chairs, which can be easily folded and stored in overhead lockers, Polish Airlines LOT claims it is not its policy to have onboard aisle chairs. This lack of accessibility is unfair and needs to be changed without delay. It is absurd that in 2024, airlines can discriminate against disabled passengers by not allowing them to use the toilet on planes.
The Polish Airlines LOT has recently issued an apology expressing regret for the inconvenience and discomfort caused to me and its other disabled passengers. The airline cited “limited space” as the reason for not having onboard wheelchairs on its short-haul flights but assures the public that it is actively seeking ways to introduce this feature in the future. However, this does not align with the airline’s response to a similar situation I faced in May while flying from Tallinn to London with the same airline. The ground staff were uncompromising and disregarded the issue.
In contrast, the Polish cabin staff on Monday’s flight were fantastic. They were open about their discomfort and apologized for the situation. While Polish Airlines LOT has taken some steps to improve its service for disabled passengers, it must continue to strive for better accessibility to cater to customers, regardless of their physical abilities. Discriminating against passengers with disabilities should not be allowed by airlines flying in or out of British airports in this day and age
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
