A row has broken out between Ryanair and Bordeaux airport in southwest France after a passenger in a wheelchair was left behind at the gate when they should have been on a flight to Edinburgh.
Initially Ryanair blamed the airport for the mix-up. But the airport has now hit back saying that it is merely an infrastructure provider and that the airline was responsible.
Caught in the middle: the passenger. What does the law say about access to aviation and the care disabled travellers are entitled to expect – and how do you go about getting it? These are the key questions and answers.
Do disabled passengers have the right to fly – and to be looked after?
Yes, absolutely. Aviation confers freedom on travellers to explore the world, encounter other cultures and return with a wealth of life-enhancing experiences. Passengers with reduced mobility – or “PRMs”, in the jargon beloved by the aviation industry – are legally entitled to exercise the freedom to travel with dignity.
The relevant legislation is known as Regulation 1107/2006 – a European Union law from 2006 that was transposed into UK legislation through the Civil Aviation (Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility) Regulations 2007.
The EU legislation says: “Disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, whether caused by disability, age or any other factor, should have opportunities for air travel comparable to those of other citizens.”
Such travellers, says the European law, “have the same right as all other citizens to free movement, freedom of choice and non-discrimination”.
The EU says: “This applies to air travel as to other areas of life.”
“Assistance to meet their particular needs should be provided at the airport as well as on board aircraft, by employing the necessary staff and equipment.
“In the interests of social inclusion, the persons concerned should receive this assistance without additional charge.”
Yet some disabled travellers feel they get a raw deal. Campaigners say that the growing number of people who need special assistance should be better recognised by the aviation community, and that improved accessibility is essential.
How is disability defined?
Under the rules that require the aviation…
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