Air travel

KLM Apologizes to Paralympian Denied Aisle Chair Mid-Flight

Was this humiliating discrimination of a Paralympic athlete or a reasonable safety precaution?

Published JUN 10

KLM Apologizes to Paralympian Denied Aisle Chair Mid-Flight

Story

Above: A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines plane during take off at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport on March 26. Image credit: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

The Facts

KLM has issued an apology to Paralympic athlete Hannah Babalola, 37, after cabin crew denied her access to an aisle chair — a narrow onboard wheelchair — during an 11-hour flight from Cape Town to Amsterdam on May 26.
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guardian
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Babalola, a paraplegic track competitor who represents Nigeria and lives in Chicago, was returning from a wheelchair-racing event in South Africa when crew told her she could either use the restroom without the chair or leave the aircraft.
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AD.nl
Crew cited turbulence as a safety concern for refusing the aisle chair and issued a written notice from the captain describing her conduct as "unacceptable" and giving a "final warning." Babalola had been provided an aisle chair on her outbound flight.
guardian
Le Parisien
Security called by the crew in Cape Town declined to intervene, and police requested to be on standby upon landing in Amsterdam also refused to take action. Babalola then continued to Chicago on a separate connecting flight.
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AD.nl
Babalola said she avoided eating or drinking for the duration of the flight out of fear she would need to use the restroom. She filed a formal complaint with KLM, which responded that "a full review of the circumstances should now be carried out by the appropriate teams," while offering its "sincere apologies" for the distress the experience had caused.
guardian
Le Parisien

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The Spin

Narrative A

This was a clear failure of basic human dignity. Denying a paraplegic passenger an aisle chair on an 11-hour flight — then threatening to "offload" her and calling police — was a humiliating act of discrimination that left her afraid to eat or drink for fear of needing an inaccessible restroom. Disabled passengers deserve the same access to restrooms as anyone else, and airlines must be held accountable when crew decisions strip that right away.

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Narrative B

While this situation was regrettable, the KLM crew were simply trying to enforce safety protocols. Crew told her an onboard aisle chair was too dangerous to use in the event of turbulence and offered the choice of remaining seated or leaving the flight. NTSB data show unrestrained occupants account for nearly all serious turbulence injuries, and crew are trained to restrict cabin movement because severe turbulence can strike without warning.

Guardian

NTSB

Editor's Note

This story currently has limited coverage. We will continue to monitor all major outlets and update our reporting as additional information becomes available.