The UK’s Civil Aviation
Authority has launched a consultation into plans to improve the experience of
flying for disabled and less mobile passengers.
The regulator is planning to
rank the performance of airlines based on the service they offer to disabled
passengers – from initially booking tickets to offering airport assistance and
the onboard aircraft experience, as well as how they handle complaints.
Ratings will also cover how airlines enable less mobile passengers to request
assistance, as well as onboard facilities, such as seating and toilets, plus
boarding and disembarking processes.
Standards will be created for bringing assistance dogs on to flights and how
airlines handle mobility equipment, including compensation if it is lost or
damaged.
Anna Bowles, head of consumer at the CAA, 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.
“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.”
The CAA is asking for feedback from disability rights groups and the aviation
industry, as well as individual travellers, to help “shape” plans to make flights
more accessible.
Once created, the framework
will only act as guidance for airlines, but Josh Wintersgill, founder of
accessibility specialist Able Move, hopes it will allow the CAA to “better
monitor airline performance and hold airlines to greater public accountability”.
The consultation will run
until 21 July and can be accessed through this link.