Aviation: Disability

(asked on 2nd September 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of staff shortages in airlines and airports on the provision of special assistance for passengers with registered disabilities.


Answered by
Robert Courts Portrait
Robert Courts
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This question was answered on 6th September 2022

I have met weekly with the aviation sector over the summer and have taken every opportunity to remind them of their responsibility to support passengers who require special assistance and have sought assurances throughout the summer of their plans to increase recruitment in this area.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the aviation regulator, wrote to airlines and airports on 9 June, to ensure industry is reaching standards expected for providing disabled and less mobile passengers with the assistance they require. In addition, the CAA published additional guidance to airports on providing assistance services. The CAA also continues to monitor airport performance on delivering special assistance, against legal obligations and publishes its findings annually.

We published the Aviation Passenger Charter in July, to provide consumers with the information they need on their rights and responsibilities for each stage of their journey, from booking to if things go wrong. This included specific information for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility on accessibility and special assistance. We developed this alongside industry, consumer and disability groups.

Accessibility in aviation remains a key government priority, and we will continue to work closely with the CAA to ensure that air travel is accessible for all passengers.

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