Air travel accessibility report could lead to ‘tangible’ improvements, but progress depends on industry

Recommendations for widespread improvements to the way the air travel industry treats disabled passengers could make a “tangible real-world difference” to their experiences with airports and airlines, but only if the measures are implemented.

The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) was set up last autumn by the Department for Transport (DfT) and is chaired by disabled crossbench peer Baroness [Tanni] Grey-Thompson.

It produced its report yesterday (Wednesday) with 19 recommendations for improvements across the industry, and the group will continue to monitor how they are implemented, with annual reports to DfT.

Its membership includes several disabled people with expertise in accessible transport, and representatives from across the air travel industry.

The report says the group found examples of “poor and inappropriate service, passengers being left onboard aircraft for long periods, damaged mobility aids, and discriminatory behaviour”, despite some improvements in recent years.

It also highlights “inconsistent” training of staff, and points to limited awareness of invisible impairments which contributes to “unintentional exclusion and undignified treatment”.

The report makes multiple recommendations for improvements across the industry, but one member of the group, accessible transport adviser and disability rights advocate Tony Jennings, warned that there was currently no budget to implement these recommendations, and no plans for government legislation, so progress now was “dependent on the goodwill of the aviation industry”.

He said the involvement of disabled people, with their lived experience and accessible transport expertise, in collaboration with representatives of the industry, had been “fundamental” to delivering the report’s “inclusive” recommendations.

He told Disability News Service that implementing the recommendations would place accessibility “at the heart of aviation” and would make a “tangible real-world difference” to the experience of disabled air passengers, as well as delivering much-needed cultural change across the industry.

He said these changes, if implemented, would “break down the barriers disabled people encounter when travelling by air and give them more confidence to fly and be treated with dignity and respect”.

He said: “Improving the culture within the aviation industry, treating disabled people with respect and dignity, improving airports’ accessibility information and access to assistance throughout the journey, will give me more confidence to fly.”

Baroness Grey-Thompson, herself a wheelchair-user, says in the report that the experience of flying as a disabled person can be “ad hoc, inconsistent and sometimes catastrophic”.

She says: “What became clear is that there was no pattern of good and poor performances and while many journeys occur perfectly well there are still too many gaps and poor experiences.”

The issues her group uncovered include missed flights, lack of empathy from staff, use of “non-inclusive” language, mobility equipment being broken or lost, and disabled passengers facing extended waits to board or leave their flight.

In her introduction to the report, Baroness Grey-Thompson also highlights problems with the complaints system, while she says booking assistance is “not as simple as it could be”, and points to a lack of accurate data on disabled passengers’ experiences.

Among the report’s recommendations are calls for all airport and airline staff to receive basic disability and accessibility awareness training, and for that to be co-produced with disabled people; for better accessibility information to be provided by airports and airlines; for improved access to assistance throughout the disabled passenger’s journey through the airport; and for clear and accessible information on passenger rights.

It also calls for improvements to the way the industry captures the assistance needs of its disabled passengers; for clearer communication with disabled passengers about the handling of their mobility aids; for improvements to the “airworthiness” design of mobility aids; and for better oversight of the industry by the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, and improvements to its guidance to airports.

Jennings said that, as a mobility scooter-user, improving the way the industry collects information about access needs and uses it to provide personalised assistance, could ensure that assistance for him through the airport is booked and delivered, and he is then transferred appropriately onto a plane through the use of a “hi-lift” and to an aisle wheelchair, and is then transferred to his seat.

He highlighted the need for investment to ensure there are enough hi-lifts “in the right place at the right time to help reduce the length of time disabled people wait for assistance”.

He added: “I can’t stress enough just how important airport and airline staff training, co-developed with disabled people, is to improve the experience for disabled people.

“From ground handlers to airline crew, to security and assistance providers and retail, it touches every part of our journey and is critical to get that right.”

He said his nine months’ work on the group had convinced him the industry was “working hard to improve accessibility services to make them more inclusive” but that he “recognises there is more work to be done, and this is just the start and the hard work of delivering the changes starts now”.

Baroness Grey-Thompson said in a statement: “This report is the next critical step in making air travel more inclusive for disabled people.

“I’m grateful for the commitment the industry has shown to making change and breaking down barriers in aviation for everyone, bringing freedom to travel, whether for leisure or work, and to connect with friends and family.

“We know there’s more work to be done, and I look forward to seeing these recommendations turned into action which truly puts accessibility at the heart of aviation.”

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the report and its findings.

She said: “I know industry is working hard to make services more inclusive for all and I look forward to seeing these proposals becoming a reality with the support of the group.

“Now is the time for action and to make a real difference so that people can travel with confidence.”

The report was also welcomed by AirlinesUK, AirportsUK and Aviation Services UK, which were all represented on AATFG.

Meanwhile, the Baywatch campaign has launched a new survey of the abuse of disabled people’s parking bays in supermarket carparks.

The campaign is run by Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK), which is calling on disabled motorists, and those travelling with them, to complete its survey every time they visit a supermarket between 21 July and 15 August.

The campaign – supported by organisations such as Disability Rights UK, Transport for All, and Phab – focuses on Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl.

The last time the campaign ran, in 2022, DMUK received more than 1,000 survey responses.

Picture: Tony Jennings (left) and Baroness Grey-Thompson

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