A SUPERFIT 71-year-old scuba diver has spoken of his surprise after airline staff told him he is too old to sit in emergency exit seats.

Ron Baron and his wife Carol, 68, booked their November holiday to Hurghada, Egypt, at Thomson Holidays, in Rayleigh High Street.

Mr Baron has been told he's too old to sit in the emergency exit seats on a plane – despite being a marathon runner and scuba diver.

He and his wife travel on holiday to Egypt twice a year, and they believe they have been discriminated against by Thomson Holiday staff.

Mr Baron said: “We’ve been heading there for the past nine years, and have selected the emergency exit seats each time.

“We were booking our seats for the plane, and then one of the staff asked how old we were.

“I told her, and she told us we couldn’t sit there – because I am over 70.

“I questioned this, so the staff then phoned to check with the Thomson Airways.

“She then came back with extra news – it turns out people can’t sit there if they’re over 65.

“If this is true, then they’ve bene in breach of their policy for years with us.

“I still class it as age discrimination.

“I can understand their policy is basically to stop anybody who is unfit from sitting there, as they would be unable to open the door.

“They perceive somebody over 70 to be “unfit”.

“However, what if there’s somebody in their 40s who is unable to open it?

“They are contradicting themselves and need to get their regulations straightened.”

In guidance on its website, Thomson Airways states: “Emergency exit row seats are only available to passengers who are able to move quickly and operate the emergency exit without difficultly if necessary in line with European Aviation Safety Authority regulations.

“Any passengers who because of physical or mental impairment or disability, age or sickness or physical size, have difficulty moving quickly cannot sit in these seats.”