‘Get a grip!’: Disabled BBC correspondent slams Heathrow after long wait to disembark plane
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Wheelchair user left on a plane for almost two hours after landing
- BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, was left waiting for more than 90 minutes for assistance after all other passengers had disembarked a 13-hour flight from Singapore to Heathrow.
- Gardner criticised Heathrow Airport for its poor service towards disabled passengers, questioning why they should receive worse treatment than others, and noted similar incidents have occurred in the past.
- According to Gardner, a Wilson James operations manager informed him that two of the five medical lifts had gone out of service overnight, contributing to the delay.
- A Heathrow spokesperson apologised for the delay, citing a medical emergency that reduced available vehicles, and offered to cover the cost of Gardner's additional waiting time for his car as a gesture of goodwill.
- Gardner praised the British Airways crew for their support, with the captain refusing to leave the plane while Gardner was still on board.