A new expert group has been announced in the UK today (7th November), which will work to tackle the biggest barriers to air travel for disabled passengers.

The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group will be spearheaded by Baroness Grey-Thompson, a current member of the House of Lords and retired Paralympian, who will work with industry and consumers to create better protections for disabled passengers when flying. Carys Davina ‘Tanni’ Grey-Thompson has extensive experience in campaigning for and delivering accessibility improvements across all modes of transport.

“I am looking forward to working with disabled people, industry experts, and the Department for Transport to improve access to flying,” said Baroness Grey-Thompson. “It is essential that the rights of each passenger are protected at every aspect of their journey, so they can travel with the respect they deserve.”

The taskforce, announced by UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, at an event at Manchester Airport, will include presenter Sophie Morgan, who is co-founder of global disability group Rights on Flights and a pioneering campaigner for improved disabled accessibility in aviation. The full list of members is below.

Sophie Morgan’s advocacy has led the push for more inclusivity within the aviation industry, and she has played a pivotal role in raising awareness of the challenges disabled air passengers face. Sophie’s recent documentary ‘Fight to Fly’ (you can access it at this link) highlighted the unacceptable treatment disabled passengers can often face when flying.

You can find out more about the work of Rights on Flights HERE.

Morgan has been involved in the Air4All project, with design, engineering and accessibility experts working to launch a system that will allow passengers to stay in their wheelchairs while flying, helping safeguard both the passenger and their device. Delta Flight Products has been refining the design.

The taskforce will engage directly with individuals who have first-hand experience of the difficulties of flying with a disability, ensuring the group can act as a platform to advocate for disabled passengers, and that consumer voices are at the heart of progress.

The taskforce will spend the next nine months with consumers and industry players, reviewing how to tackle problems which impact the safety and dignity of disabled passengers’ travel experiences. The group aims to deliver a series of recommendations and proposed actions to the UK Transport Secretary next year.

Key considerations include:

• Disabled passengers being left onboard aircraft without timely assistance
• Wheelchairs being poorly handled by crews, leading to damage
• Inadequate service
• Lack of access to toilet facilities on board aircraft
• Limited access to clear information that is important for disabled passengers planning their journeys

The group is scheduled to meet for the first time later this month, and its membership will also include aviation industry representation from Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, British Airways, ABTA (an association of UK travel agents and tour operators), assistance providers, as well as representatives of London Stansted, East Midlands, Manchester and Glasgow Airports. More details of the members can be found below.

The group is aiming to agree upon short-term and long-term actions that are practical and achievable, and that can be implemented by the industry, regulators or the UK government, leading to real improvements for disabled passengers.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said at the announcement in Manchester Airport: “Everyone has the right to travel with dignity, and it is vital we ensure that flying is an accessible, safe and enjoyable experience for all. For too long, disabled passengers haven’t had the standard of assistance and service they need. That’s why we are bringing together this expert taskforce to drive forward change.

“Under the leadership of Baroness Grey-Thompson and with accomplished members like Sophie Morgan, this group will help break down barriers and deliver lasting and meaningful improvements to ensure passengers always comes first,” added Haigh.

As dedicated ‘Passenger in Chief’, the Transport Secretary says she is steadfast in her commitment to ensuring that all passengers can experience more inclusive, accessible and seamless journeys. While the aviation industry has made improvements to ensure passengers are treated more fairly and with dignity, reports of damaged wheelchairs, poor service and lack of awareness are still being reported by disabled passengers.

Sophie Morgan, founder of Rights on Flights, said: “This is an important milestone in the ongoing fight for rights on flights. For far too long disabled people have suffered when flying and enough is enough. By establishing The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group the UK Government has sent a powerful message to the community and airline industry, that change is in the air.”

Members of the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group:

• Chair: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
• Sophie Morgan, founder of Rights on Flights
• James Fremantle, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
• Helen Dolphin, member of the CAA Consumer Panel
• Ann Frye, UK Government’s Disability and Access Ambassador
• Sue Sharp, Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC)
• Michelle Kelly, Consumer Council for Northern Ireland
• Carly Danesh-Jones, disability rights advocate
• Anthony Jennings, disability rights advocate
• Ed Kibblewhite, Manchester Airport
• Stephanie Putt, Stansted Airport
• Paul Scott, Glasgow Airport
• Christopher Drury, East Midlands Airport
• John Fishwick, Virgin Atlantic
• Steve Wilson, Jet2
• Customer accessibiltiy strategy manager, British Airways
• Tracy Kennedy, Ryanair
• Linda Ristagno, IATA
• Julia Ogiehor, ABTA
• Liz Boadella Burton, head of product and passenger experience, Wilson James
• Samantha Saunders, ABM UK
• Mark Chambers, OCS
• David Leighton, Aviation Services UK