Dutch airline KLM has issued an official apology to Paralympic athlete Hannah Babalola after cabin crew denied her access to an onboard wheelchair during an 11-hour flight from Cape Town to Amsterdam on May 26, 2026.
The 37-year-old paraplegic track athlete requested the narrow aisle chair to use the restroom.
>>> ScotRail Alters Glasgow Services Amid Concerts and Track Incident
Crew members instead handed her a written warning for unacceptable conduct and called the police, who declined to take action.
Babalola, a Nigerian competitor living in Chicago, had booked the journey as a wheelchair-using passenger.
She completed her outbound trip without issue before facing resistance on the return flight.
During an audio-recorded conversation with the captain and cabin crew, workers told Babalola that using the onboard chair was too dangerous due to potential turbulence.
"I needed to get home to Chicago to my family and to get to work and I couldn't 'offload' from the flight," Babalola said.
Airport security in Cape Town and police in Amsterdam both refused to take legal action against the passenger despite requests from airline staff.
"I felt compelled to avoid eating or drinking for the duration of the flight because I feared needing to use the restroom and being unable to access it," she said.
"I spent much of the flight trying to control my emotions and I found myself crying because of the way I had been treated."
Babalola described the experience as humiliating, distressing, and degrading.
She said it caused significant physical discomfort and emotional distress, and raised serious concerns regarding discrimination and equal treatment.
KLM Review and Apology
Following a formal complaint from Babalola, KLM's customer service department initiated an internal review of the flight crew's conduct.
>>> Olivia Rodrigo Albums Reenter Billboard Charts Ahead of New Release
"It is very concerning to read about this experience, particularly the distress caused during boarding and throughout the flight," a KLM customer service staff member stated.
"Your account describes a situation that must have felt deeply upsetting and unsettling."
The support team expressed regret and confirmed that investigators will analyze the formal reports submitted by the onboard staff.
"A full review of the circumstances should now be carried out by the appropriate teams," the staff member said.
"My sincere apologies are extended for the distress and upset this experience has caused."
The incident drew criticism from British Paralympian Anne Wafula Strike, who faced a similar transport accessibility crisis in 2017 when she was forced to wet herself on a train.
"Nine years ago I was forced to wet myself on a train because there was no functioning accessible toilet.
Almost a decade later, the experience of Hannah Babalola shows we still have a long way to go," Strike said.
"It is upsetting that disabled people are having to fight the same battles over and over again."
KLM management declined to provide additional details about the crew's operational decisions during the flight.
"We regret that an incident occurred involving one of our passengers on the flight from Cape Town to Amsterdam on 26 May," a KLM spokesperson said.
>>> NWS Expires Tornado Warning for Shawnee, Jefferson Counties in Kansas
"Out of respect for the privacy of both the passenger and our crew, we find it inappropriate to discuss the details of the situation."
