In the last week of February, our Vice-President, Gunta Anca, was asked to give a speech during a high-level event by the Polish Presidency of the EU.
She was not there in person because LOT airlines denied her boarding. The reason? She was denied boarding due to her wheelchair. Despite sending all required documentation, she was told “the captain wasn’t convinced because he couldn’t see the batteries inside the protective case.”
This comes at a time when EU Institutions are negotiating stronger protections for passengers with disabilities. We support MEP Matteo Ricci’s draft report on the revision of Passenger Rights laws presented last week as a step in the right direction.
We now call on EU Institutions to adopt our key demands in this revision:
- Putting an end to cases of denial of boarding based on lack of accessibility and untransparent safety considerations,
- Establish full liability of airlines and airports regarding damaged and lost mobility equipment
- Ensure that the accompanying person, when mandated by the airline, travels free of charge.
- Eliminate prenotification time for assistance
- Require air carriers and airports to gather and publish data on the assistance provided to persons with disabilities and related complaints (Service Quality Standards)
Gunta Anca, who also leads our work on passenger rights, said:
“It is time for the EU to update a unified, non-discriminatory aviation policy for passengers with disabilities. No one should be left behind just because someone ‘doesn’t believe’ in their right to travel.”
Related documents
- Story “The nightmare of travelling: When “I don’t believe it” becomes a barrier to inclusion”
- Statement “European Parliament must be ambitious in improving passenger rights”
- Report: “End the nightmare: Passengers with disabilities deserve to travel by air”
Contacts
Daniel Casas
Accessibility Officer
André Félix
Communications Manager
The European Disability Forum is an umbrella organisation of persons with disabilities that defends the interests of 100 million Europeans with disabilities. EDF is a unique platform that brings together representative organisations of persons with disabilities across Europe. It is run by persons with disabilities and their families. EDF is a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe.