The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is calling for the introduction of a new airline accessibility framework to improve the experience for disabled and passengers with reduced mobility (PRM).
DALLAS - The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is calling for the introduction of a new airline accessibility framework to improve the experience for disabled and passengers with reduced mobility (PRM). To put the new framework together and ensure best practices are adhered to, the CAA said it would work closely with disabled people and all major airlines.
The new proposal would see airlines ranked in terms of their performance. This would cover all aspects of a passenger's journey, from booking tickets, assistance at the airport, boarding, in-flight experience, disembarking and post-flight experience.
According to the CAA, the ratings 'would include consideration of access around requesting assistance, onboard facilities including seating and toilets, as well as boarding and disembarking.' It would also include how airlines handle assistance dogs and mobility equipment and any compensation issues if these items are lost or damaged.
In 2014 the CAA introduced a similar framework at UK airports which has significantly improved the experience for PRMs. Many airports spent millions of pounds to bring their facilities up to standard.
The CAA said that it had also 'helped deliver other significant improvements for passengers over the last decade in its access to air work, including developing guidance for UK airports on helping people with non-visible disabilities such as autism, dementia and hearing loss as well as many other conditions that are not immediately obvious.'
Speaking of the move, Anna Bowles, Head of Consumer at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said, "Our proposals to introduce this new framework are about holding airlines to account in meeting their obligations to disabled and less mobile passengers across all aspects of their journey.
"Consumers should have confidence that the standard of support they receive when flying will meet their needs. Assessing airlines against a standardised framework will ensure that disabled and less mobile passengers will be better informed when they choose which airline to fly with, and will highlight areas where airlines need to do better.
"To make the framework as effective as possible, we're asking for feedback from individuals, disability rights groups and the industry to help shape our plans."
Josh Wintersgill, Founder and Director of ableMove, a company established to improve the lives of wheelchair users, also welcomed the news. "Whilst only guidance, it is hoped it would enable the UK Civil Aviation Authority to better monitor airline performance and hold airlines to greater public accountability just like UK airports are today, which has shown improvements, but perhaps not at the pace which people expect," he said.
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