EU warns airlines ahead of Paralympics

Airlines told to pay heed to guidelines for disabled passengers.

The European Commission today (14 June) urged airlines to improve compliance with a 2006 regulation on passenger rights for disabled people.

The guidelines were scheduled for publication in the autumn, but the organisers of the Paralympic games, to be held in London in August, asked for them to be published earlier because of continued violations by airlines, breaches of the rules that have garnered a great deal of media attention ahead of the games.

Recent examples include a disabled senior UN official not being allowed to board a flight from London Heathrow to Geneva because he was unaccompanied. Three disabled passengers in France have successfully sued airlines for improper refusal to board.

One of the main problems has been airlines refusing to board disabled passengers unless they provide a medical certificate. The EU guidelines say that such certificates cannot be demanded of someone with a stable condition. They also specify that a disabled person can only be required to have a person accompany them “if it is clear that the passenger cannot meet the appropriate safety requirements”.

The guidelines also remind disabled passengers that they have a responsibility to notify airlines at least 48 hours in advance if they have specific needs.

“My message to disabled passengers is: if you want an easier journey, tell them in advance that you are coming,” said Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for transport.

European Disability Forum, a disability campaign group, reacted positively to the guidelines, but said they would have liked more clarity in some areas. The group says the main problems hindering compliance are lack of enforcement by member states and insufficient training of airline staff.

“The resources of the national authorities are limited,” said Disability Forum director Carlotta Besozzi. “The possibility to bring and follow up on a complaint is quite difficult. We have seen that in the countries that have invested resources in [enforcement], this has led to a more favourable situation.”