AIRCRAFT ACCESSIBILITY

That this House notes that the Government’s inclusive transport strategy states that everyone deserves the right to travel with comfort and dignity; further notes that passengers with reduced mobility are almost half as likely to have flown in the past year as other passengers and that 40 per cent of passengers with reduced mobility who had flown stated that the level of accessibility on flights was a decisive factor in their decision making; congratulates airports such as Edinburgh on their work to make the experience of flying more accessible for disabled people; regrets anecdotal evidence that once passengers become the responsibility of airlines, the experience can become undignified and uncomfortable; is concerned by reports that some disabled passengers have been manhandled by baggage handlers when boarding aircraft; calls on the Government to encourage airlines to make aircraft more accessible by, for example, removing seats to accommodate wheelchairs and prioritising wheelchair storage for quick access on arrival; and further calls on the Government to review regulations on aircraft accessibility to make getting on and off aircraft easier and more dignified for disabled people.