Obese man finally arrives back in France
The obese Frenchman deemed ‘too big to fly’ has finally arrived back in his home country, weeks after being refused permission to board a British Airways flight.
Kevin Chenais, who is 22 and weighs 230kg (36 stone), made headlines all over the world when he was initially refused permission to board a British Airways flight from Chicago last month.
According to the BBC, the family then tried to book a transatlantic crossing on Cunard’s ship Queen Mary, but the cruiseline also refused to carry him.
Virgin Atlantic stepped in this week to fly him back to London, where he had hoped to take a Eurostar train to France.
However, Eurostar also said he could not travel because of safety rules.
Instead, he traveled across the English Channel with P&O Ferries. Eurostar said it paid for the family to be driven to Dover in a special ambulance.
Chenais had originally traveled to the US in May 2012, with BA, where he had 18 months of treatment for hormone inbalance in Minnesota.
He arrived in Calais yesterday evening and was due to be driven to his home in south-eastern France by ambulance.
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.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt