Disabled air passengers to benefit from Europe-wide rights

4.21.45pm GMT Thu 15th Dec 2005

MEPs today voted on laws concerning the rights of disabled persons and

persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. The measures

approved will lead to increased harmonisation across Europe to ensure that

passengers are not discriminated against on the grounds of their

disability or lack of mobility.

Liz Lynne, Vice Chair of the All Party Disability Intergroup in the

European Parliament and Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands said:

"This legislation is a very welcome first stage in securing the rights of

disabled people and persons with reduced mobility and will make a

significant change in the lives of the approximately 50 million disabled

people in the European Union.

"In September we also voted in the European Parliament to extend the

rights of disabled and reduced mobility passengers in rail travel. These

are long overdue developments in transport regulation and I look forward

to seeing more."

Liz, who is also Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and President

of the Liberal Democrat Disability Association, added:

"Disabled people and persons with reduced mobility should have the same

right as all other citizens to free movement, freedom of choice and to

non-discrimination. This applies to air travel as to other areas of life.

"I still have some slight concerns that without European wide health and

safety standards some disabled people could still be refused boarding but

having said that, this is very welcome legislation."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The subject was brought to the headlines in October when a group of

disabled passengers were ejected from a Ryanair flight as their number

exceeded the airline's quota for disabled passengers under company safety

regulation. The group however, claimed that they had called the airline

eight months in advance in order to ensure there would not be a problem.

The new legislation will ensure that Disabled persons and persons with

reduced mobility will be accepted for carriage and not refused transport

on the grounds of their disability or lack of mobility, except for

justified safety reasons prescribed by law. Before accepting bookings from

disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility, air carriers, their

agents and tour operators should make all reasonable efforts to verify

whether there is a justified safety reason which would prevent such

persons being accommodated on the flights concerned.

In addition, the legislation also prescribes that sufficient assistance

should be given at airports to enable disabled persons and persons with

reduced mobility to proceed from a designated point of arrival at an

airport to an aircraft and from the aircraft to a designated point of

departure from the airport, and that it should be organised so as to avoid

interruption and delay, while ensuring high and equivalent standards

throughout the Community and making best use of resources.