British Airways incident where a young boy with Tourette syndrome and his family were refused to fly

Posted on 25 May 2026 by Pippa McClounan

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A statement from our CEO Emma McNally

Tourette syndrome remains one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood conditions, and that needs to change.

This family experienced something no one should ever have to go through. After doing everything right, including making the airport aware of their son’s disability, booking assistance, passing through security, and reaching the gate, they were refused boarding because their son involuntarily shouted that he had a bomb.

This was not behaviour. It was not intent. It was not choice. It was an involuntary tic. It was part of his disability. It was a symptom of his Tourette’s. And yet, they were not allowed to fly.

When I heard the news, I felt completely heartbroken for this family. Air travel can already be highly stressful, particularly for families managing a disability, and they should not have had to endure this.

However, I do not believe this should be about blame or shame. The staff involved were doing what they believed was the right thing at the time. This decision is unlikely to have been made by one individual alone, but rather through existing protocols and processes. I believe the situation arose not from malice, but from a lack of understanding and awareness of Tourette syndrome.

This is why it’s important that we look beyond this single incident. While it may be easy to place blame at the door of British Airways, the reality is that this issue runs much deeper. The protocols followed across the aviation industry are not currently inclusive enough for people with Tourette syndrome and that must change.

I want this to be a moment for progress and change.

I hope that British Airways will take this opportunity to put things right.  I hope they will:

1. Offer a sincere apology to the family
2. Commit to meaningful Tourette syndrome awareness training for their staff

More broadly, we need to see a review of aviation protocols to ensure they are inclusive, informed, and able to appropriately support passengers with conditions like Tourette’s.

Sadly, situations like this are not rare. Too often, Tourette’s is the condition left behind when it comes to true inclusion.

The reality is simple, tics are involuntary. They are not beliefs. They are not intent. They are not a choice. That is why our campaign this year is #NoChoice.

We must work to ensure situations like this do not happen again. The key to that is education.

At Tourettes Action, we work with organisations to build understanding, confidence, and inclusion. Our Tourette’s Friendly Scheme helps create environments where people with Tourette’s feel safe, respected, and understood.

My hope is that something positive can come from this, something that drives meaningful change, and ensures no other family has to go through the same experience.

It’s time for all airlines and the wider aviation industry, to commit to becoming truly Tourette’s friendly.

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