Disabled Access (Aviation Industry)

Hywel Francis Excerpts

Wednesday 7th November 2012 Westminster Hall

[Graham Evans]

The hon. Lady is entirely right. Arranging a section of a multi-storey car park—I am thinking of a particular airport that I do not want to mention—is not beyond the capability and wit of man. Sometimes people have to park miles away from the airport, but a facility so that carers or disabled people may drive virtually to the departure lounge would have no cost implications and would be quick and straightforward. The hon. Lady has raised an important point.

On check-in, wheelchairs are normally taken by staff to be loaded. We should consider wheelchairs not only as modes of transport but as vital medical equipment. As such, I am deeply concerned by the lack of due care and training; 60% of wheelchairs are damaged in flight. Even more concerning is the £1,000 compensation limit for damage to chairs, which can cost upwards of £6,000. Surely, if the argument for the limit is that it protects the cost viability of airlines carrying such equipment, we should reposition the argument. If the training were better, fewer wheelchairs would be damaged and fewer costs paid. That is really simple, is it not? As a result, as with anything else that is transported, when a wheelchair is damaged, full compensation could be given, which would be better value for airlines and a better deal for passengers—better all round.

I am pleased there has been progress and airports are making their facilities more accessible, and it is worth noting that the 11 million disabled people in the United Kingdom, 8% of whom use wheelchairs, have a combined spending power of £80 billion a year.

[Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon) (Lab)]

I also congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this excellent debate. Has he undertaken an international study? Of course, by its very nature, airline travel is overwhelmingly international. I speak with experience of travelling with a disabled child in the late 1990s, and many people, today and in the recent past, are struck by how different the welcome is in, say, Atlanta, Georgia, which is excellent, compared with Schiphol, Heathrow or Cardiff. That difference must surely be underpinned by legislation, rather than simply good practice that may be found at particular airports.

[Graham Evans]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. I have knowledge from similar experiences. He mentioned an airport in north America, and in my personal experience the Americans have a different frame of mind; they have a can-do attitude. The Americans were doing that for years before Parliament passed the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, as part of their customer service—not just for some customers but for all. The Americans have that can-do attitude, so legislation is not needed to provide basic good customer service.

I hear what the hon. Gentleman says about Heathrow, and it is very much for the leadership and management of those businesses and companies to make the decision to offer good quality service for disabled people. They do not have to wait for legislation. The legislation is largely here, but it has not been acted upon. I put that down to the leadership and management of those organisations; it comes down to the basic level. The legislation is there; they just have to ensure that, as a good quality company, they put those good working practices in place.

Recent investments include £2 million by Gatwick airport on making facilities more accessible, which resulted in a 93% decrease in complaints since 2009. Manchester airport has launched a new access guide designed to provide disabled customers with all the information required to plan their journey through the airport.

Finally, let us consider people boarding planes and in-flight services. Boarding policies vary from airline to airline. I am happy that priority boarding is becoming increasingly common, both for the comfort and dignity of the passengers themselves and for the comfort and safety of surrounding passengers. But in the report there are too many examples of bad practice to be dismissed as one-offs.

Of course, we have to consider the costs. Air bridges are considerably more expensive than steps, and low-cost airlines deliver cheap seats exactly because they forgo so-called luxuries. I am heartened, however, by airlines such as easyJet, which, with input from its independent advisory service chaired by the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett), has invested in trials for rising ramps to replace stairs to keep costs down and to make boarding far easier and safer.

For all the progress, there are glaring flaws in the current process. Despite requirements to have training on lifting and moving wheelchair users, more than 60% of respondents felt unsafe when being moved. Safety should always be the key priority, and I am concerned that the required training is not being delivered. That must change for the safety of passengers, crew and ground staff alike.

The issue is complicated and far-reaching, with many elements to consider. The practical implications of refurbishing planes to be more accessible are huge, and I welcome the willingness of aviation manufacturers such as Boeing to set up dialogues with disability groups. Given the development time for plane models, it would be unrealistic to expect instant changes, but if we maintain pressure and keep channels of communication open, we can hope to see progressive design.

In the meantime, although there is general awareness of the problems of catering for disabled people, that is very much lip service. We need to encourage proactive engagement from the first interaction when booking a ticket, through the check-in desk and to the seat. Training, strict guidelines and clear and consistent information are needed. We are not asking for a reworking of jet propulsion theory, but we want and need smarter thinking to make aviation work for us all.