Journalist and former BBC presenter Mark Mardell was left feeling “humiliated” after he was told he could not board a Turkish Airlines flight due to having Parkinson’s disease and no doctor’s report.
The broadcaster was unaware of this requirement and was shocked when he could not board his flight home from Istanbul to Gatwick.
“Let’s be clear: this isn’t about paperwork. It’s prejudice dressed up as policy. It’s ignorant, insulting, and frankly medieval,” Mr Mardell wrote on Facebook.
The BBC has approached Turkish Airlines for comment.
“I’d like to stress they are only the airline that had any mention of Parkinson’s,” he told the BBC.
Mr Mardell is a former radio and television journalist who spent 25 years reporting and analysing major world events, notably for BBC Radio 4 and other radio outlets.
In his Facebook post, Mr Mardell said he had checked in his suitcase but before he could get through security he was told he was not considered fit to fly.
“Rest assured, I wasn’t drunk, violent, or even late. No, my sin was having Parkinson’s,” he said.
“They told us I couldn’t board without a doctor’s letter. At first, I thought they wanted proof that I had Parkinson’s, which was absurd enough. But no – the letter had to say I was safe to fly.
“Apparently, Turkish Airlines has decided that people with Parkinson’s are a danger to themselves or others.”
Mr Mardell had taken the trip to Istanbul with his son Jake and used assisted boarding due to his condition, which he says has resulted in no boarding issues with other airlines.
“Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition on the planet. If you think that means we shouldn’t be allowed on planes, you’ve got a problem – and it’s not neurological,” he wrote in his Facebook post.
The Turkish Airlines website states: “Passengers who have Parkinson’s disease are admitted to the flight with a doctor’s report stating that ‘there is no harm in traveling by plane’.
“The report must include a statement specifying that the passenger can travel accompanied or unaccompanied,” the website adds.
A doctor’s report provided must be recent and usually compiled within the last 10 days.
But Mr Mardell listed British Airways, Lufthansa, American, Emirates, and Qantas as examples of major airlines that do not require a doctor’s report if the passenger has Parkinson’s.
“Turkish Airlines stands alone in demanding people with Parkinson’s must bring a doctor’s note. That’s not ‘assistance’; that’s a barrier,” Mr Mardell said.
The journalist said he found most of the Turkish Airlines staff he encountered unhelpful and they left him “staggering” around the airport alone for hours trying to find his suitcase.
Eventually, a helpful member of staff and a member of the public helped him and he located his bag.
Mr Mardell has since returned home to the UK, flying back the following day with Wizz Air.
He posted about his ordeal on Facebook to highlight what has happened in the hope other people with Parkinson’s wouldn’t encounter the same problem.
“I had to rebook, stay in a hotel, and spend the night stranded, all because I have a medical condition, not a contagious disease,” he said.
“People with Parkinson’s everywhere need to know about this Airline’s outrageous policy.”
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