Annual Report 1997

3. Report of the Airports Working Group

Members
Peter Barker - DPTAC
Joe Hennessy - Muscular Dystrophy Group
Valerie Lang - DPTAC
Sir Peter Large - DPTAC
Bert Massie - DPTAC
Jane Wilmot - DPTAC

Members of Access to the Skies UK
Tina Barbour - Brittania Airways
Iris Bice - Monarch Airlines
Simon Buck - Air 2000
Khumi Burton - Air Transport Users' Council
Caroline Curtis - Saga
Nick Butcher - Civil Aviation Authority
Bob Hill - Air UK
Jim Forster - British Airways
Sue King - Virgin Holidays
Alan Lewin - Limbless Association
Caroline Lynam - Virgin Atlantic
Dave Mercer - Airtours
Jo Spacey - Airtours
Lionel Virr - Civil Aviation Authority

The Airports Working Group, meeting quarterly with Access to the Skies UK (ATTSUK), brings together disabled travellers and a wide range of aviation organisations committed to improving air travel for disabled passengers. The size of the combined group, which already includes eight UK based airlines, has led us, regretfully, to turn away membership requests from a number of other airlines but has prompted a review of the ways in which the Group's work can reach further afield. The production and circulation of a newsletter, aimed at airline operators' committees, airport management and handling agents is now seen as a priority for the coming year.

During 1997 a number of members worked with the DETR Air Industry Group on the UK's response to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended practices and guidelines for handling disabled passengers travelling by air. These sessions co-ordinated the views of airports, airlines and disabled people on all stages of the journey from making a booking to airport access and facilities on board aircraft.

Members of the Group, with colleagues from the Rail Working Group, visited the mock up of the Heathrow Express station and rolling stock, and were pleased to note that a number of DPTAC recommendations had been incorporated in a project which will significantly improve access to Heathrow in 1998. We understand that the project team are working to mitigate the single design feature which had caused concern to DPTAC.

The DETR's proposal to develop a fully accessible electric passenger vehicle for use at airports, railway stations and shopping malls encountered a set-back. The preliminary passenger survey work at Heathrow, Gatwick and Woking has been followed by market research with local authorities but, demand notwithstanding, it is proving difficult to secure funding to take the project forward to the ergonomic design stage and work on a prototype vehicle.

The Group continued its attempts to "broker" an industry-wide proposal for funding "special needs" handling at airports: we are working with the Airport Operators Association (AOA) and the British Air Transport Association (BATA) on possible solutions and have also written to the Monopolies and Mergers Committee (MMC), in the context of the Manchester airport regulatory review, expressing our belief that charges should be spread across all passengers rather than direct charges being levied on disabled travellers. The Group is also pursuing a common standard for accessibility to airport facilities, by building upon the BAA access audit, in discussion with the Airport Operators Association.

In March of 1997 a 2-day Access to the Skies conference was held in London, at which a farewell presentation was made by Neil Kinnock to Lewis Carter-Jones, long-serving member of DPTAC and former chairman of this Group and of ATTSUK. The conference formulated a number of conclusions and recommendations. These issues, together with the action plan published in this report, encapsulate the work being undertaken jointly by DPTAC and ATTSUK to improve customer service for disabled air travellers.

Peta Wright
Chairman

Airports Working Group - Work Programme 1998

1. Continue to work in tandem with the Access to the Skies UK (ATTSUK) to ensure that all areas of air travel take proper account of the needs of disabled passengers.

2. Develop an access audit system which can be used by airports across the country; to promote the system through the Airport Operators Association (AOA); and to use the findings to benchmark the industry in terms of access provision.

3. Improve communication with the industry through dissemination of a newsletter to be produced jointly with the ATTSUK.

4. Continue to pursue with the AOA and BATA a fair system for dealing with the costs of handling disabled passengers.

5. Continue to take part in discussions with the DETR's Air Industry Group to influence the UK's response to European and International discussions about access to air travel for disabled people.

6. Continue to offer advice to airports on new build and refurbishment projects.

Terms of Reference for the Airports Working Group

1. The membership of the Group will be agreed with the Chairman of the Group and the Chairman of the DPTAC. Membership will be limited to no more than twenty members.

2. The membership of the Group will include representatives from disability interests, organisations involved in air transport and other appropriate interests.

3. The Group will normally meet at least four times a year. For the time being meetings will be held jointly with the Access to the Skies Committee UK (ATTSUK).

4. The Chairman of the Group will generally be a full time member of the DPTAC and will make a report on the Group's work to each meeting of DPTAC.

5. The Group will:

   a) consider issues affecting elderly and disabled people travelling through airports;

   b) consider requests from DETR and other Government Departments to DPTAC for guidance/advice on policy issues and make recommendations to DPTAC on those issues;

   c) undertake such work as they, in consultation with DPTAC, and in conjunction with ATTSUK as appropriate, consider necessary to progress the interests of disabled people in relation to air travel;

   d) raise issues, through DPTAC, for consideration by the DETR;

   e) draw up guidance and codes of practice, as necessary, for clearance by DPTAC for publication as formal DPTAC advice; and

   f) provide advice to DPTAC, on consultation papers from Government and other organisations.

6. All papers submitted to the Group will be confidential to its members and to members of ATTSUK and details discussed within the Group should not be discussed with third parties, without prior agreement of the Secretariat.

Published 3 June 1998

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