Paralympian leads effort to improve travel for disabled people
Emma Lynch/BBC
Baroness Grey-Thompson had to crawl off a train in August after arriving in King’s Cross and facing a long wait for assistance
Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is to lead a new group of experts tasked with improving air travel for disabled passengers.
The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, announced by the government, will work to make flying accessible for all "from booking to baggage claim".
"For too long, disabled passengers haven’t had the standard of assistance and service they need," said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.
In September, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, had to crawl along the floor of a Polish Airlines LOT plane in order to reach the toilet.
Our correspondent, who has been paralysed since being shot by al-Qaeda gunmen in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, described his ordeal as both physically deeply uncomfortable and degrading.
LOT, which flies in and out of Heathrow, said it was not its policy to have onboard aisle chairs, while British Airways, Easyjet and other airlines carry them as standard.
It was, our correspondent said, shameful that disabled [...]