IATA: New mobility aid safety guides

Providing safe, reliable and dignified transport for passengers with disabilities is a priority for airlines that was reinforced by a unanimously approved Resolution at the 75th IATA Annual General Meeting in 2019. The safe and efficient transport of mobility aids was identified as a key area for improvement by airlines, working with industry stakeholders and disability groups.

“Airlines are committed to ensuring passengers with disabilities can travel with dignity, confidence and comfort. Working with representatives from the disability community, we established that new protocols to improve the transport of mobility aids were urgently required. This new guidance, created in partnership with key players in the travel chain, will improve service, and significantly reduce damage to these vital devices that are often an extension to the body of a passenger with a disability,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security.

“Experience shows that communication is key to improving the handling of mobility aids. This guidance sets out steps for passengers, airlines, and the travel chain to exchange information at every stage of the travel journey. It will help airlines perform better and give passengers using mobility aids greater confidence. We’ll be working with our members and stakeholders to operationalize this guidance, and the industry will be reaching out to policymakers to encourage harmonization with national regulations,” said Careen.