AM EDITORIAL: A Case For Passengers With Reduced Mobility
ICAO’s policies for passengers with disabilities, officially categorized as Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM), aim to ensure seamless, dignified, and barrier-free air travel. These guidelines are primarily mandated through Annex 9 (Facilitation) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and detailed in Doc 9984 – Manual on Access to Air Transport by Persons with Disabilities.
ICAO requires Member States and industry stakeholders to enforce reserved parking and designated drop-off/pick-up points, located as close as possible to main terminal entrances, accessible routes, free of obstacles with facilities like ramps, elevators, restrooms, and clear signage accommodating all types of disabilities.
ICAO also expects that PRMs receive assistance to ensure they access services available to the general public, including check-in, border control, and security. During boarding and disembarkation, manual lifting should be avoided and airports and airlines must use lifting systems, on-board wheelchairs, and movable armrests to facilitate easy aircraft access. ICAO emphasizes the safe handling of mobility aids to prevent damage, loss, or delayed returns, which affect passenger dignity and safety.
Passengers are strongly encouraged to pre-notify airlines and airports of their specific needs such as wheelchair dimensions, battery-powered mobility devices, or escort requirements, so service providers can adequately prepare. Information regarding flight status, safety briefings, and services must be provided in accessible formats to passengers with hearing and vision impairments.
ICAO says airline, airport, and ground-handling staff must undergo adequate training to assist passengers with disabilities professionally and respectfully.
From December 2 to 3, 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) together with Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) hosted a Symposium on Accessibility in International Civil Aviation at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal, uniting governments, industry leaders and advocacy groups to tackle barriers to air travel faced by persons with disabilities or reduced mobility.
Organized within the context of the 2024 ICAO Year of Facilitation, the event featured the exchange of significant new expertise towards improving the air travel experience of persons living with disabilities.
There are over 1.3 billion individuals or about 16% of the global population, living with some form of disability and this number is likely to increase in the coming years based on the aging population.
Some airlines in Nigeria already have provision for PRMs. However, we encourage more airlines to increase attention on this category of passengers. We commend Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc for recent acquisition of the EVAC+CHAIR emergency evacuation chairs, becoming the first and only aviation ground handling company in Nigeria to deploy this specialized mobility equipment, further enhancing its ability to provide safe, dignified, and efficient assistance to passengers with reduced mobility.
The EVAC+CHAIR, recognized globally as the world’s leading stairway evacuation chair since 1982, is specially designed to provide a safe and comfortable means of moving passengers with reduced mobility during emergencies or when navigating stairways. Using an advanced gravity and friction control system, the chair safely ascends and descends stairs without the need for heavy lifting, reducing physical strain on operators while ensuring maximum safety and comfort for passengers.
It is important for all handling companies and airlines to up investments in the comfort of PRMs. AM
