Liv Bridge
A man has claimed an airline refused to let him board the plane due to having Parkinson's disease.
Mark Mardell, a British journalist, claims he was left stranded and 'humiliated' after being allegedly denied entry onto a Turkish Airlines plane as a result of his condition.
The 68-year-old says he was travelling back to London from Istanbul after enjoying a week-long vacation with his son when he was prevented from boarding the flight.
Mark claims this is because the crew required a letter from his doctor that stated he was fit to travel, despite not requiring such proof when taking his flight out on October 20.
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“I feel so humiliated,” the former BBC presenter and chief political correspondent told The Sunday Times. “It’s this terrible feeling that you are so vulnerable.
"I nearly burst into tears about five times.”
When contacted by UNILAD, a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines said it was 'deeply saddened' by the 'misunderstanding' and has now 'removed the requirement' for Parkinson's disease sufferers.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects the nervous system and gets worse over time.
A tremor is often a common symptom of the disease and can also cause stiffness, slowing of movement and trouble with balance.
Mark added to the outlet: "It’s quite a hard thing to admit, even to yourself, that you are disabled.
“It is quite a thing for me to say: ‘I need assisted boarding, I am handicapped'.
"You know it does lower you in the estimation of some people, makes you lesser in their eyes.
"We thought they meant originally a letter from your doctor to prove you had Parkinson’s,” he continued. “No, it turns out you can’t fly without a letter from your doctor to say there is no harm in flying.”
The father insisted his son, Jake, 32, took his flight home while he waited for further assistance, which saw him 'stranded' for seven hours in the airport until he booked into a hotel for the night. He boarded a new flight back to the UK with Wizz Air the next day.
Inconvenience aside, Mark recalled how there was 'one woman who was really horrible' during his ordeal.
He alleged that she had said: "'No he has got Parkinson’s, you can’t let him on board'.
"She went off to be horrible to some other passenger in a wheelchair and shouted at them."
"She said, ‘Look at you, your hands are shaking,’” Mark continued. “My hands don’t shake. It’s not one of my symptoms. But maybe they were because I was nervous and upset. It was so mean.
"She said: ‘It’s for your own good'. So my bags were taken off the flight.
"You are feeling vulnerable anyway and you are staggering around … and I just couldn’t walk anymore. I just wanted to sit down,” he reflected on the hours he spent alone in the airport.
“The odd thing was that they say it’s for your own good and then they let you stagger around an airport.”
When he complained to Turkish Airlines, Mark added an employee allegedly wished him a 'speedy recovery', despite the fact Parkinson's is incurable, and offered a full refund for the missed flight.
In a statement to UNILAD, a spokesperson for the airline said: "We are deeply saddened that our policy, which was implemented to ensure the safety of our passengers during flight, to assess any potential medical needs in advance, and to determine whether additional assistance may be required, has been perceived in this manner.
"In light of this incident, and taking into consideration the consultations we conducted with all relevant stakeholders, we have revised the procedure that led to this misunderstanding.
"Accordingly, we have removed the requirement for passengers diagnosed with Parkinson’s to submit a medical report prior to travel."
It continued: "We would like to emphasize that we highly value the feedback shared with us in the aftermath of this event and that we remain open to all recommendations aimed at improving the passenger experience within our processes.
"Our strong commitment to accessibility, inclusiveness, and full compliance with all applicable regulations remains unchanged.
"As the airline with the world’s most extensive international flight network, our foremost mission is to offer a safe, more inclusive, and more considerate travel experience for all our guests, while taking their health conditions into due consideration.”