.The new regulation will come into force from 26 July and imposes new legal obligations on airport operators, air carriers, their agents and tour operators. Under this regulation the responsibility for providing services to people with disabilities or reduced mobility now lies with the airport operators.
Airport operators will be required to organise the provision of the services necessary to enable disabled/reduced mobility passengers to board, disembark and transit between flights. Costs will be recovered through a charge on airlines proportionate to the total number of passengers they carry to and from the airport with no charges to the passenger requiring assistance. Airlines will also be required to provide certain assistance onboard the aircraft.
Conor Murphy said: “This regulation will bring a much needed consistency to the standards set across Europe and introduces measures which are designed to protect the rights of disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility when travelling by air. This is a positive step in ensuring the same access to services for everyone when they fly.
The minister also welcomed the updated Code of Practice. He said: “The code is a positive step to aiding and guiding our airport industry towards meeting the requirements set out in the Regulation. We anticipate that our three airports in the North will measure up to these new standards of compliance.”
The Civil Aviation Authority has been given the power to enforce the Regulation across the UK and to prosecute any guilty airport operator in breach of the law. Any person who feels that such a breach has occurred has the right to complain to the General Consumer Council NI who has been designated as the complaints handling body for the North.
Notes to Editors:
- Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 imposes new legal obligations on airport operators, air carriers, their agents or tour operators. The Regulation was largely progressed under the UK's Presidency of the European Union in 2005 and means that airports will now be responsible for providing assistance to disabled travellers. This will be standard across all European airports.
- Passengers needing assistance must not be charged, and airports must publish quality standards so that passengers can measure the service they receive against these standards. The Regulation requires that staff providing direct assistance to passengers be suitably trained, and disability awareness training will need to be provided to all staff.
- Airlines themselves must carry passengers' medical equipment and up to two pieces of mobility equipment free of charge. They must also carry assistance dogs free of charge (on permitted routes).
- For passengers, this will mean continuity across airports. Whereas previously standards may have differed, they are now set and passengers are entitled to full assistance regardless of the airport they are travelling from. Where this is not provided, they are able to take their complaints to GCCNI.
- The Regulation comes into force in two stages. The first stage (prohibiting refusal of booking or embarkation) came into force on 26 July 2007. In very occasional circumstances these rights may not apply - for example, where there are legitimate safety or technical reasons why a disabled person cannot board an aircraft.
- The rest of the Regulation will apply from 26 July 2008. From this date, airport managing bodies will be required to organise the provision of the services necessary to enable disabled/reduced mobility passengers to board, disembark and transit between flights, with costs recovered through a charge on airlines proportionate to the total number of passengers they carry to and from the airport. Airlines will also be required to provide certain assistance onboard the aircraft.
- For further press queries, please contact DRD Press Office: 029 9054 0837. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
