Assistance for airline passengers with disabilities

There are no worldwide uniform standards regulating the provision of assistance for airline passengers with disabilities. Different regions have varying levels of regulation regarding disability assistance at airports. American regulations place the responsibility on the airlines, while the European Union's rules place the responsibility mainly on the airport authorities and in some regions such as South America, regulations are unclear. This has caused concern for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) about the difficulties caused by inconsistent regulations.
Wheelchair assistance at airports are typically provided on request through a call or a digital or physical form. Some airlines also have size restrictions on wheelchairs due to strict weight limits. Check-in procedures vary by airline and airport. Certain types of wheelchairs, however, can be checked in such as collapsible wheelchairs, scooters and battery-powered wheelchairs that can be operated by the user themselves.
Specific IATA codes are used on the flight ticket to indicate the kind of assistance the person needs, such as wheelchair assistance inside the terminal, between the terminal and the plane, climbing up/down to/from the plane, and moving within the plane.
Passengers requiring a WCHR (Wheelchair on Ramp) status are able to use stairs/steps, walk short distances and are able to make their way to their assigned seat but may require mobility aids or other forms of assistance for more strenuous activities like climbing stairs and walking long distances. However, most WCHR passengers still require additional assistance as walking for prolonged periods may cause discomfort for them.
This category is sometimes merged with WCHR for operational convenience and is mainly for passengers who cannot climb steps/stairs but are able to walk to their assigned seat. At most airports they are given the same accomodations as those who are in the WCHR category.
Passengers that require WCHC (Wheel Chair Cabin) wheelchairs are completely immobile and cannot walk or move without significant assistance. Airport authorities often provide a specialized wheelchair known as an aisle chair that has extra modifications to allow greater flexibility as compared to normal wheelchairs. They can often be utilized in tight spaces such as airplane cabins and lavatories.
Deaf passengers may have difficulties hearing announcements or navigating and communicating with airport staff and cabin crew. They require extra accomodation in order to ensure they get the same level of service as other able-bodied passengers. In some countries such as those in the European Union, these are covered under a category called Persons with Reduced Mobility or PRM. Meet and assist services are provided for passengers with disabled hearing to get to their boarding gate safely.
Passengers with impaired vision will have extra difficulty navigating around the airport, especially if they are not fitted with extra features for blind people such as Braille and tactile paving, especially in congested areas such as car parks and drop-off points. Nevertheless, some European airports such as Warsaw Chopin Airport have features designed speciically for visually impaired people, with voice messages, specialized convex lines and extra training for airport employees to better assist blind travellers.
Passengers that are both deaf and blind require specialized assistance when travelling. They often experience difficulties due to the general lack of amenities and disabled-friendly infrastructure in airports. Airlines usually require a companion to guide them through boarding, enboarding and deplaning.
Other hidden disabilities, such as chronic pain and severe allergies make travelling inconvenient. The airport environment also challenges passengers through spatial disorientation, communication difficulties, sensory stimulating environments, anxiety, and other factors. This may cause confusion or even distress to such individuals, and require personalized assistance in order to facilitate a more pleasant boarding and check-in experience.
Passengers who have neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability may require wheelchair assistance, depending on the severity and degree of how well one can function in crowded environments such as the airport. Caregivers travelling with such passengers may choose to utilize wheelchairs at their discretion. In recent years, campaigns by travel agencies have raised awareness of the code, leading to better assistance for neurodivergent and mentally handicapped passengers.
According to EU regulation 1107/2006, persons with reduced mobility have the right to assistance during airline travel. The assistance is mandated for flights on any airline departing from an airport in the EU or flights to an airport in the EU on an aircraft registered in any EU country. The EU has specific regulations regarding airline passengers with reduced mobility. No passenger may be turned away due to their disability, except for reasons based on safety, and each passenger is entitled to two personal-assistance devices, including a wheelchair. Assistance should be provided to these passengers, either through the airport or a third party hired by the airport, and the EU provides guidance in training airport employees in assisting these passengers. Passengers have to also notify the airline 48 hours in advance to make sure appropriate assistance is given. The EU recommends that the extra cost of these services be covered by every airline at the airport proportionate to the number of passengers each one carries. Passengers should be compensated for damaged items such as wheelchairs and assistive devices "in accordance with rules of international, Community and national law". The Montreal Convention however, restricts compensation to 1,131 SDRs (around $1,500), significantly less than the value of many wheelchairs.
In the European Union, persons with disabilities are considered Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) under Regulation 1107/2006 of the European Parliament, and are entitled to assistance at airports across member states.
The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits commercial airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. The act was passed by the U.S. Congress in direct response to a narrow interpretation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) v. Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) (1986). In this case, the Supreme Court held that private, commercial air carriers are not liable under Section 504 because they are not "direct recipients" of federal funding to airports.
Airlines are required to provide passengers with disabilities any assistance they may need in order to travel properly like all other passengers. This includes allowing them with a wheelchair or other guided assistance to board, helping them disembark from a plane upon landing, or connecting these individuals to another flight. Individuals with disabilities are also required to seating accommodation assistance meets their disability-related needs. Certain types of wheelchairs can be checked in, such as collapsible wheelchairs, scooters and battery-powered wheelchairs that can be operated by the user themselves. If the wheelchair does not meet size requirements for check-in luggage, flight attendants will carry the wheelchair to the cargo hold free of charge.
The U.S. Department of Transportation currently does not include emotional support animals in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), the act that allows service animals to fly on airplanes if they meet requirements. Before December 2020, they did include emotional support animals in their definition of service animals (US Department of Transportation, 2020).
In 2022, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) had published the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights. It (as stated by the DOT) "describes the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act and its implementing regulation, 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 382."
There are no significant guidelines for providing disability-friendly services at airports in South America. Regardless, certain airlines such as LATAM have aisle chairs on board to assist with boarding.
In Australia, public legistlation requires airports to follow the guidelines of the National Construction Code and the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. Wheelchair services are generally available on request at Australian airports and are provided within terminal buildings, car parks along with pick-up and drop-off zones. Some airports, such as Sydney Airport also allow assistance animals for passengers inside their terminals along with ATMs that have braille functionality for vision impaired passengers. All major Australian state and territory capitals have disability-friendly services as mandated by law according to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, which prohibits airports from denying people with disabilities accomodations that cater to their needs. Qantas, the national carrier of Australia, also allows passengers to travel with several types of service dogs in the aircraft cabin, such as guide dogs for visually-impared passengers and hearing dogs for hearing-impared passengers.
Australian and New Zealand airports also utilize external boarding lifts in order to assist passengers directly through the cabin door without the space constraints of a jetbridge.
Wheelchair services in Asia vary widely by region, airport and airline operator. Most major flag carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific provide on-demand free wheelchair assistance, while low-cost carriers such as Jetstar Asia and Scoot provide weight and size restrictions on certain wheelchairs. Passengers flying on certain airlines, such as Jetstar Asia will have to pay additional fees. Wheelchair assistance at remote gates at selected airports are also available. Those with visual impairments are supposed to have meet and assist services provided by the airline if a caregiver or significant other is not present. There have been concerns about the standard of wheelchairs provided in some airports along with needs for upgrades in order to cater to disabled passengers.