‘Fuming’ BBC correspondent waits one hour for a wheelchair at Gatwick
EasyJet and Gatwick have apologised to BBC news journalist Frank Gardner OBE who was left waiting on a plane for an hour for wheelchair assistance to arrive.
The airline, airport and OCS Assist, the company responsible for providing wheelchairs and other aids for people who need assistance, are now investigating after the BBC’s special correspondent tweeted a picture of himself and a member of cabin crew on an otherwise empty aircraft at Gatwick.
The tweet said: "Once more stuck on empty plane at Gatwick Airport after all passengers off and heading home as special assistance have failed to turn up."
He followed up with another tweet: "Dear @Gatwick_Airport @easyJet @Ocs_Assist Your failure to get disabled pax promptly off planes even AFTER all others r off is inexcusable."
Gardner, who needs a wheelchair or walking frame to get about after being shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia 12 years ago, said it took at least half an hour of continuously ringing OCS Assist before he was helped off the plane.
Once he had disembarked, he tweeted: "Yep I’m off plane but still fuming. This is UK in 2017 ffs."
Dozens of people responded to his tweets, with one saying: "Very well done for raising this crucial issue on behalf of so many disabled people."
Another said: "Give ’em hell Frank. Make offgoing crew responsible until all pax have left plane."
One Twitter user demanded to know: "Why has this taken so long before a discussion like this is spoken of?"
Pic: BBC
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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