‘Too Fat To Fly’ Kevin Chenais Now Banned From Eurostar

Kevin Chenais, a medically obese Frenchman who earlier this month was deemed “too fat to fly,” has now been banned from boarding a Eurostar train back to his native country because of his weight.

22-year-old Chenais weighs 500 pounds due to a medical problem that he has suffered from since he was just six months old. Earlier this week, Chenais was finally able to return to European soil from the United States after Virgin Atlantic found space to board him.

Last month, British Airways told Chenais and his family that they were unable to have him as a passenger on one of their flights because of his size.

Chenais, who had originally traveled to the US in May 2012 with the same company, was in the country to receive 18 months worth of medical treatment in Minnesota for a hormone imbalance. He was then supposed to fly home from Chicago in October until he was stopped by officials.

According to Kevin’s father Rene, he needs to undergo constant medical treatment, and he must receive frequent oxygen and care.

After being refused entry to the British Airways flight, Rene decided that Kevin and the rest of his family would cross the Atlantic on the Queen Mary cruise ship. Unfortunately, he was also turned down because of “medical security.”

However, Virgin was finally able to provide him access to a flight, and when he arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday from John F Kennedy Airport in New York, Kevin admitted that he hadn’t stopped crying throughout the entire journey.

Kevin was even quoted as saying, “The airport was very hard on me. I had to walk a long way.”

The Chenais family expected the last portion of their journey, which would see Kevin board the Eurostar train in London to take him to Paris, to be easier. From the French capital, he would then be able to return to his home of Ferney Voltaire, a village in eastern France.

But upon his arrival, Eurostar told Kevin they couldn’t take him back to France due to safety regulations. Officials admitted that the situation was “terrible,” but confessed that they must adhere to their “very strict rules” that are in place in case of an emergency in the tunnel.

P&O Ferries have now offered Kevin and his family a route home, and the company has admitted that it is hard to even possibly imagine their frustration.

“For us it’s very straightforward,” they declared,” we are set up to carry people who have medical needs.”

[Image via TungCheung/Shutterstock]