Paralympian leads effort to improve travel for disabled people

Baroness Grey-Thompson had to crawl off a train in August after arriving in King's Cross and facing a long wait for assistance

Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is to lead a new group of experts tasked with improving air travel for disabled passengers.

The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, announced by the government, will work to make flying accessible for all "from booking to baggage claim".

"For too long, disabled passengers haven’t had the standard of assistance and service they need," said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.

In September, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, had to crawl along the floor of a Polish Airlines LOT plane in order to reach the toilet.

Our correspondent, who has been paralysed since being shot by al-Qaeda gunmen in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, described his ordeal as both physically deeply uncomfortable and degrading.

LOT, which flies in and out of Heathrow, said it was not its policy to have onboard aisle chairs, while British Airways, Easyjet and other airlines carry them as standard.

It was, our correspondent said, shameful that disabled passengers flying out of British airports should still be discriminated against in this way.

Heathrow, which is not part of the taskforce, said it is "committed to making air travel more accessible", and has commissioned research on the barriers facing access to air travel - which it would be "pleased to share".

It added it is working with its airline partners and an advisory panel to "transform the service for passengers requiring support".

A London Gatwick spokesperson said it welcomes "any initiative to make flying more accessible".

They said the airport was "proud of the work we do to improve accessibility" and noted it had been recognised for this by Airports Council International, a global organisation of airport authorities.

In August, Baroness Grey-Thompson was forced to "crawl off" a train arriving at London's King's Cross after waiting in vain for assistance for 20 minutes.

LNER said later it was investigating what had happened and was "sorry to understand" there had been "an issue" at the station.

The new group, which will also include Sophie Morgan, co-founder of global disability campaign body Rights on Flights, will meet for the first time later this month. It will deliver recommendations and proposed actions to the transport secretary next year, following a nine-month review.

"The taskforce will engage directly with individuals who have first-hand experience 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 Department for Transport said.

The group "will run in partnership between industry and consumers and look at tackling the biggest barriers to air travel for disabled passengers", it added.

Issues under consideration may include:

• Being left onboard aircraft without timely assistance

• Poorly handled wheelchairs

• Inadequate service

• Lack of access to toilet facilities

• Limited access to clear information

The group will have industry representation from Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, BA and travel association ABTA, as well as London Stansted, East Midlands, Manchester and Glasgow airports.

It will "agree short and long-term practical and achievable actions that can be implemented by the industry, the regulator or the government", the Department for Transport said.

"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."

Ms Morgan 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."

She said the group would be "holding airports and airlines to account".

"We need to improve laws without question, without a shadow of a doubt," she told BBC Breakfast. "There's enough horror stories out there".

She added she hopes the civil aviation authority would be given more power to "fine or punish" airlines that fall short of providing for disabled passengers.

With the creation of the new group of experts, the government had "sent a powerful message to the community and airline industry that change is in the air", she added.

"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," Louise Haigh said.

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK said disabled passengers faced being left on planes, having their wheelchairs damaged, having to deal with bad communications and been subjected to poor standards of passenger assistance.

She added the success of the group will depend on "what action government and industry take."