health
KLM apologizes after Paralympian denied onboard wheelchair on 11-hour flight
Athlete Hannah Babalola says she was told to use the toilet without an aisle chair or leave Cape Town to Amsterdam flight
TL;DR
- KLM has apologized to Paralympic athlete Hannah Babalola, who was denied an onboard wheelchair on a long-haul flight.
- Babalola, who is paraplegic, was told she could either use the toilet without an aisle chair or 'offload' from the flight.
- Cabin crew called the police and security, but no action was taken against Babalola.
- The incident occurred on a KLM flight from Cape Town to Amsterdam on May 26.
- Babalola described the experience as humiliating, distressing, and degrading, raising concerns about discrimination.
- KLM stated they regret the incident and are conducting a full review.
- The incident is compared to a 2017 case where a British Paralympian was forced to wet herself on a train due to lack of accessible facilities.