Air Travel

Responsibilities of Airport Managers under the Regulation

The Regulation will require airport managers to provide a designated points of arrival and departure which have basic information about the airport available in accessible formats intended for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. Airport managers will also be required to put in place the necessary arrangements to enable disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility to:

• communicate their arrival at an airport and their request for assistance at the designated points;
• move from a designated point to the check-in counter;
• check-in and register baggage;
• proceed from the check-in counter to the aircraft, with completion of emigration, customs and security procedures;
• board the aircraft, with the provision of lifts, wheelchairs or other assistance needed, as appropriate;
• proceed from the aircraft door to their seats;
• store and retrieve baggage on the aircraft;
• proceed from their seats to the aircraft door;
• disembark from the aircraft, with the provision of lifts, wheelchairs or other assistance needed, as appropriate;
• proceed from the aircraft to the baggage hall and retrieve baggage, with completion of immigration and customs procedures;
• proceed from the baggage hall to a designated point;
• reach connecting flights when in transit, with assistance on the air and land sides and within and between terminals as needed; and
• move to the toilet facilities, if required.

Where a disabled person or person with reduced mobility is assisted by an accompanying person, this person must, if requested, be allowed to provide the necessary assistance in the airport and with embarking and disembarking. The overall responsibility should remain with the designated service provider.

Responsibilities of Airlines under the Regulation

Airlines will be required to:

• carry recognised assistance dogs in the cabin, subject to national regulations;
• in addition to medical equipment, transport up to two pieces of mobility equipment per disabled person or person with reduced mobility, including electric wheelchairs;
• communicate essential information concerning a flight in accessible formats.
• make all reasonable efforts to arrange seating to meet the needs of individual persons with a disability or reduced mobility on request and subject to safety requirements and availability;
• assist in moving to toilet facilities if required;
• make all reasonable efforts to give an accompanying person a seat next to the disabled person or person with reduced mobility.

Implementation

Under the new Regulation, the obligation not to refuse bookings will apply 12 months from the date of adoption (9 June 2006) and the remainder of the Regulation will apply after two years i.e. in mid 2008.

The Regulation will be implemented in Ireland by means of Statutory Instrument, and this will be done as soon as possible now that the Regulation has been formally adopted by the EU.

In the interim, the Department of Transport will formally notify airlines, airports and other relevant parties of the content and advise them to prepare for implementation. In particular, the Department will advise those airlines and airport authorities who have not already done so to arrange to put in place a programme of disability awareness training for staff as a priority measure.

The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) is drawing up good practice guidelines and service level agreements to enable airlines and airports to provide a consistent level of service to passengers with disabilities across Europe and this work will also inform policy in this area.

General

It is Departmental policy that the design and provision of facilities at the State Airports are accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

The importance of delivering a high quality of service to all customers and enhancing the quality of the travel experience for all users has always been recognised at the three State Airports. This is achieved in partnership with the various other service providers at the airports.

The building standards at all the State Airports conform to the accessibility provisions of the Building Regulations 2000 and in building and refurbishment works, the NDA guidance document 'Buildings for Everyone - 2002' is used. Facilities to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments will be incorporated into the design of all future airport projects and the DAA will continue to consult with people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments in relation to reviews of existing facilities as well as the introduction of new facilities.

Management at all three airports liaise with local disability organisations in their area with regard to the provision of accessible services. Dublin Airport has set up a disability users group, embracing representative bodies from various organisations, and meetings commenced in January 2006. Shannon and Cork Airports are in the process of establishing formal structures for consulting with disability user groups.

Dublin Airport

Passenger traffic through Dublin Airport is forecast to grow to about 30 million by around 2015. New infrastructure capacity and facilities, both airside and landside, will clearly be needed to cater for this growth including further terminal capacity. As part of the aviation action plan approved by Government in May 2005, the DAA will commission the building of a new Terminal Two at Dublin Airport. All new developments will be designed to incorporate the needs of persons with mobility and sensory impairments.

Airport management have recently commissioned and completed a full accessibility audit at Dublin Airport. This took place in the first 3 months of 2006. While generally favourable, the audit identified some shortfalls in the provision of services for passengers with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and remedial action is being taken.

Cork Airport

In 2001, Cork Airport embarked on a major development project to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities to cater for passenger traffic growth projections. The project design team engaged with all stakeholders to optimise the airside and landside planning of this project including the Cork Access Group (CAG), a group comprised of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. This group is still involved in the ongoing consultation process on the development programme. Upon completion and opening of the terminal this year, there will be ongoing contact with the CAG and a member of the senior management team in Cork Airport will be designated to lead the process.

Cork Airport management is also currently examining a proposal by the CAG for the training of airport staff to develop awareness to the needs of passengers with mobility and sensory impairments.

Shannon Airport

At Shannon Airport, the Airport Terminal Manager is responsible for the provision of services and facilities for passengers with mobility and sensory impairments

When planning a major terminal extension in 2000, the project team involved engaged with all stakeholders including disability groups in the region to ensure that the highest levels of accessibility works for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments were incorporated into the works. On completion of the extension, a programme of improvement works was developed in conjunction with these disability groups and is currently being implemented on a phased basis.