Overview

• Frank Gardner, who has used a wheelchair since surviving a 2004 Al Qaeda attack, waited 1 hour 35 minutes to disembark after his British Airways flight from Singapore arrived at a remote stand in Terminal 5.
• A Wilson James operations manager told Gardner that two of the five medical lifts were out of service overnight, delaying the arrival of assistance.
• A Heathrow spokesperson cited a medical emergency that reduced available vehicles and pledged to cover Gardner’s additional car waiting fees.
• Gardner praised the British Airways crew for their support, highlighting the captain’s refusal to leave the aircraft until every passenger was off board.
• Gardner endured a similar 100-minute wait after an Ethiopian Airlines flight in 2018, underscoring long-standing accessibility shortcomings at Heathrow.