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Mark Mardell, a journalist and former BBC presenter, has stated that he felt “humiliated” after being denied boarding on a Turkish Airlines flight. The reason given was his Parkinson’s disease and the absence of a doctor’s report.
The broadcaster, unaware of this specific requirement, expressed his shock at being prevented from boarding his flight 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 in a Facebook post detailing the incident.
The BBC has reached out to Turkish Airlines for an official response to these allegations.
“I’d like to stress they are only the airline that had any mention of Parkinson’s,” he told the BBC, clarifying that his criticism is specific to this instance.
Mr. Mardell is a seasoned radio and television journalist with a 25-year career reporting on and analyzing significant global events, primarily for BBC Radio 4 and other prominent radio outlets.
In his Facebook post, Mr. Mardell explained that after checking in his luggage, he was informed before reaching security that he was deemed unfit to fly.
“Rest assured, I wasn’t drunk, violent, or even late. No, my sin was having Parkinson’s,” he stated.
“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 was traveling to Istanbul with his son, Jake, and utilized assisted boarding due to his condition. He noted that he has never encountered similar 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 asserted in his Facebook post.
According to the Turkish Airlines website, “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 further clarifies.
The required doctor’s report must be recent, typically issued within the preceding 10 days.
Mr. Mardell cited British Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Emirates, and Qantas as examples of major airlines that do not mandate a doctor’s report for passengers with Parkinson’s disease.
“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 argued.
The journalist also claimed that he found the majority of Turkish Airlines staff he interacted with to be unhelpful, leaving him “staggering” around the airport for several hours in search of his luggage.
He eventually located his bag with the assistance of a helpful staff member and a member of the public.
Mr. Mardell has since returned to the UK, flying back the following day with Wizz Air.
He shared his experience on Facebook to raise awareness and prevent similar incidents from happening to other individuals with Parkinson’s.
“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 explained.
“People with Parkinson’s everywhere need to know about this Airline’s outrageous policy.”
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