A law protecting the rights of airline passengers who suffer from reduced mobility will come into effect this Saturday (July 26).
Under the new EU legislation, it will become the responsibility of airport regulators to ensure that all disabled people are given appropriate assistance once they arrive at the terminal.
That means measures must be put in place to facilitate disabled access to all stages of air travel, from checking-in through to boarding the aircraft.
Current rules place the onus on airlines, prompting complaints from some carriers that certain airports are inadequately placed for meeting legal requirements.
Commenting on the new law, a spokesman for Leonard Cheshire Disability said: “Disabled people are still facing barriers when using air travel, when they should enjoy the same opportunities that most of us take for granted.
“We want to see air travel providers take this new directive seriously and equip their staff with the skills and understanding to support disabled customers. They need to ensure that disabled air travellers are satisfied with the journeys and feel confident to fly again.”
The charity recently conducted research which found that six out of ten people with mobility issues have experienced problems while boarding a plane.
