Long-awaited air travel accessibility report was a disappointment

In recent years there have been many news stories about frankly disturbing incidents of airports and airlines delivering substandard and woefully inconsistent assistance to disabled air passengers.

 

These have ranged from unacceptable waits to be disembarked from the plane to wheelchairs and mobility aids being damaged or lost.

 

Having carried out my own survey of disabled travellers’ experiences with assistance at UK airports and airlines and published my own findings in a report, I was pleased to see the then Secretary of State launch The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group and the appointment of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as chair. 

 

The long-awaited report from the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group has at last been published by the government and I have to say that my first impression on reading the report was disappointment.

 

I should say at this point that the blame for this disappointment does not lie at the feet of Tanni Grey-Thompson, nor does it lie at the feet of the Task and Finish Group.

 

The blame lies completely at the feet of the Secretary State for Transport and the government for its failure to give the Task and Finish Group the necessary legislative and regulatory powers to implement change, which would have given them the powers to ensure the necessary changes are made.

 

I, along with other recognised experts in the field of accessible travel, were invited to contribute our knowledge and expertise to the process and a group of us met with Tanni on a Zoom call to give her our evidence, views, and recommendations. 

 

I should point out that I am not criticising her or the Task and Finish Group, who did an excellent job of highlighting the issues and putting forward solutions.

 

Indeed, I was pleased to see some of the recommendations we made during our meeting with Tanni were reflected in the findings of the committee and this report.

 

The value of the report is that it highlights the seriousness of the problems that disabled travellers face and how airports and the aviation sector are failing disabled travellers.

 

I was also pleased to see that the report makes some suggestions for some solutions that if implemented could improve the experience of disabled travellers immensely and create a more consistent approach across all airports and the aviation industry in the UK.

 

However, I cannot help but feel that the chances of these solutions coming to fruition will be severely hampered and delayed by the barriers highlighted in the report, and the seemingly frustrating reluctance of the Secretary of State and her governmental colleagues to legislate and regulate the aviation sector in any meaningful way, which in my view is long overdue, in order to implement the necessary changes.

 

The barriers highlighted in the report appear to be nothing more than pitiful excuses rather than a real willingness to create an environment and culture where airports and airlines are required to improve the service and consistency that disabled travellers can reasonably expect to receive when they use airlines and airports.

 

I cannot help but feel that the Secretary of State is avoiding her responsibility to disabled travellers, by failing to legislate and regulate the air travel sector in order to make the recommendations of the report effective and in so doing is hampering improvement of the service that disabled travellers receive at UK airports and from the aviation sector.

 

I can only hope that the Secretary of State steps up to the plate and delivers the necessary legislation and works with her counterparts around the world to improve accessibility and inclusion in air travel.

 

I just pray that we will not be in the same situation in a decade’s time. Only time will tell.

 

One thing is for sure, that this issue is far too important to let politicians, airports and the aviation sector avoid their responsibility and duty to improve aviation accessibility and the experience every disabled passenger can expect whatever their level of ability.

 

It is time that the barriers were removed, and this important report is the first step towards that, and we now need to see fewer excuses and the government, the aviation industry and agents all working to create a barrier free experience for all disabled travellers.