“On Saturday, Turkish Airlines decided I wasn’t fit to fly,” writes Mark Mardell. The former BBC Newsnight political editor, who is living with Parkinson’s disease, says: “Rest assured I wasn’t drunk, violent or even late. No, my sin was having Parkinson’s.
“I was flying from Istanbul to Gatwick. Checked in, bag gone down the chute, but before I even got through security I’d been chucked off the flight.
“Apparently, Turkish Airlines has decided that people with Parkinson’s are a danger to themselves or others.”
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and can cause tremors. Mr Mardell is a presenter, along with Jeremy Paxman and other media figures living with Parkinson’s, of the award-winning Movers & Shakers podcast.
He describes his experience at the hands of Turkish Airlines at the carrier’s main base, Istanbul airport. Ground staff insisted he needed a report from his doctor containing the phrase: “There is no harm in travelling by plane.”
The broadcaster has travelled widely by air while living with Parkinson’s. His experience was made worse by having to spend seven hours at the airport trying to retrieve his checked baggage. He then booked a hotel and flew home the next day with Wizz Air, without any problems.
The Independent has approached Turkish Airlines for comment on the incident, and, more widely, on its policy to require a doctor’s report from people living with Parkinson’s or autism.
How widespread are such demands – and why are airlines so concerned about passengers’ health? These are the key questions and answers.
Why do airlines need to know about a passenger’s medical history?
All airlines want to know: does this person present a potential problem to other passengers and crew? Risks include an individual who is drunk, has a contagious disease, or appears to be in such poor health that a medical diversion might be necessary.
Airlines want to identify any possible conditions that could be exacerbated by flying. These include:
- Unstable cardiac or pulmonary (heart or lung) conditions
- Recent surgery, which could leave a pocket of air trapped in the body that expands in flight
- Wearing a cast over a fracture: unless the plaster is split, low cabin pressure can lead to an extremely painful swelling
- Being heavily pregnant, typically from 28 weeks onwards
Surely if someone is ill, the pilots can simply divert?
Yes, and they always do when there may be a risk to life. But diversions can prove extremely disruptive and expensive. In April, for example, a British Airways flight from the Bahamas to London diverted to Newfoundland because of a medical emergency, but could then get only as far as Iceland before the crew reached their legal limit and ran “out of hours”. Passengers were stuck until BA laid on a special flight to take fresh pilots and cabin crew out to Reykjavik.
Medical diversions appear to be becoming more common among European and North American airlines. There are three reasons:
- The average age of airline passengers is rising, increasing the likelihood of poor health
- Carriers are using bigger planes; with more people on board, there is a higher chance that someone is going to fall ill
- There are more ultra-longhaul flights, during which there is more scope for a passenger to fall ill
Carriers understandably want to know all relevant health information in order to protect the health of the individual and the plans of other passengers.
What risk does someone with Parkinson’s disease pose to a flight?
It is hard to see how people living with the condition could constitute a danger to themselves or to others. Mr Mardell is unaware of such a request being made by any other airline.
Parkinson’s UK, which represents people living with the condition, does not indicate any problem for the passenger. The organisation says: “It’s important to drink plenty of fluids during your flight, so you don’t become dehydrated. This is particularly important if you have low blood pressure.
“If the cabin crew know you have Parkinson’s, they can make sure to offer you drinks throughout the flight.”
What does Turkish Airlines ask for?
The carrier makes clear on its website that passengers living with Parkinson’s need a doctor’s report that includes “a statement specifying that the passenger can travel accompanied or unaccompanied”.
The report must be in Turkish or English and obtained at least 10 days before the flight. It must include the doctor’s name, surname, diploma number and signature, and the phrase: “There is no harm in travelling by plane.”
People with autism who are travelling alone must also produce “a doctor’s note stating that they can travel by plane without a companion”.
Like Mr Mardell, The Independent is unaware of other airlines making similar stipulations.
To its credit, Turkish Airlines, most unusually, offers discounts to disabled passengers. Turkish citizens who are members of the “Miles&Smiles” frequent-flyer scheme get 20 per cent off domestic flights and 25 per cent off international flights.
The carrier adds: “Passengers who are not citizens of the Republic of Turkiye can benefit from the discount by presenting the disability certificate issued by the official authorities in the country of their citizenship to the sales office.”
What happens next?
Mr Mardell has asked Turkish Airlines for an explanation of its unusual requirement. The carrier has contacted him via social media and says it is investigating the incident. He has also complained about his treatment to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Could airlines get more inquisitive about a passenger’s health?
I believe so, at least in regard to older travellers on longer flights. The Civil Aviation Authority points out: “The majority of in-flight emergencies occur in situations when an individual’s medical condition is unknown to the airline.”
Many such cases involve passengers of advanced years. It could be that airlines will start to require anyone above a certain age, possibly 80, to complete a medical questionnaire before being allowed on board a longhaul flight.
Read more: What happens if EES makes me miss my connecting flight?
