Jardine welcomes consultation on airline access for disabled passengers
Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has welcomed a consultation launched by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to improve airline accessibility and has encouraged disabled passengers to contribute.
The CAA is running a consultation until the 21st of July on its proposed framework to improve the experiences of disabled and less mobile passengers travelling by air.
Christine, who is the Liberal Democrat Equalities Spokesperson, believes the inconsistency of the current level of service is letting down disabled passengers.
She said: “So often constituents come to me and say that a holiday or trip to see family was tainted by their experience of getting on or off an aeroplane.
“They may have been uncomfortable with the way they were helped or carried, kept waiting on board the flight and missed a connection.
“Edinburgh and other airports have made tremendous improvements but airlines and flights themselves still seem to fall short of what passengers tell me they need.
"That is why it is welcome that people have the opportunity to voice their views and the framework can identify what is going wrong. I would encourage as many people as possible to contribute so that we can improve the airline experience for disabled passengers.
“This goes beyond the frustration of waiting. It is about the emotional trauma that is caused. Whether that be through the anxiety induced prior to travel or the indignity of being left unattended long after other passengers have disembarked.
“At present, there is very little consistency, and it is past time something was done to correct that so that all passengers feel assured that their needs are being met.”