A family holiday turned into an ordeal at Gatwick Airport after a 13-year-old boy with Tourette’s syndrome was refused boarding by British Airways and escorted out of the terminal by armed police, having shouted the word “bomb” at the gate.
The boy, named in reports as Mason, was travelling with his family from Harwich in Essex on a flight bound for Alicante in Spain on Saturday 23 May. According to his family, they had done everything they could to prepare — contacting BA the day before to warn that Mason, who was anxious about flying, might blurt out alarming words as part of his condition. He was wearing a sunflower lanyard, used to discreetly signal a hidden disability, and had a diagnosis letter with him.
The family say everything had gone smoothly until they reached the gate, where Mason shouted “bomb” several times. British Airways staff then made the decision not to allow the group to travel. Armed officers escorted the family back through the airport, and they ended up losing two days of their holiday and rebooking with another airline.
Mason’s father, Martyn, described the experience as “horrendous” and said it had reduced him to tears, accusing the airline of discriminating against his son. A BA spokesperson said Mason’s disability was not the reason for the decision, describing it as an extremely difficult, complex and distressing situation, and said that due to a number of contributing factors the decision was made not to allow the group to travel.
The case has reignited debate about how the aviation industry handles passengers with conditions like Tourette’s — and whether current protocols do enough to support families who declare a disability in advance. For those of us who ferry passengers to and from the airport, it’s a reminder of just how stressful the journey can be for travellers before they’ve even left the ground.
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