The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 1.3 billion individuals live with some form of disability, representing around 16% of the global population. As the population ages, the percentage of people with disabilities is expected to increase. Both States and industry have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving accessible air transport for passengers with disabilities. While current regulations focus predominantly on addressing concerns through individual jurisdictions, achieving significant progress will require shifting the focus to the establishment of a cohesive global framework.
“Universally coordinated and accessible air transport can only be achieved through close collaboration along the aviation value chain. ICAO is heightening cooperation with IATA and ACI on this priority, because it is only by showing governments and operators how to work together as one that we will successfully tackle existing barriers in air travel,” said Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO’s Secretary General.
“Airlines want to ensure safe, reliable, and dignified travel for every passenger, including those with disabilities. To deliver this, airlines, airports and the disability community must work together. On top of this, national regulatory frameworks for passengers with disabilities must support successful service delivery no matter where a journey begins or ends. Coordination among all these players is the key to empowering passengers with disabilities to travel with confidence. We have high expectations that this event will move us towards that goal,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“ACI is committed to helping our member airports enable barrier-free environments that provide equal access and outstanding travel experiences for all guests, regardless of ability. This symposium will bring together aviation stakeholders from across the ecosystem to engage in meaningful dialogue to identify actionable steps toward creating a more accessible air transport system,” said Justin Erbacci, ACI World’s Director General.
This week ICAO, along with Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), hosted the Symposium on Accessibility in International Civil Aviation at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal. We brought together governments, industry leaders and advocacy groups to tackle barriers to air travel faced by persons with disabilities or reduced mobility. The event, under the theme “Inclusive and Universally Accessible Air Transport for Persons with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility,” explored strategies that create a more accessible air transport system.
Key discussion topics included:
- International frameworks and policies for accessibility inclusion
- Barriers to air travel: architectural, technological, and informational
- Stories from passengers with disabilities
- Global collaboration on mutual standards and practices
- Enhancing accessibility through design and technology
- Mobility in air transport
Organized within the context of the 2024 ICAO Year of Facilitation, this novel event helped us create and exchange significant new expertise that can help improve the air travel experience of persons living with disabilities. It will also help with negotiations on accessibility when our 193 Member States convene in 2025 for the 42nd ICAO Assembly.
For more information on the event that took place, click here. We’re sharing the programme below. The sessions and discussions that took place in them, were recorded and will soon be available for ondemand viewing here on ICAO TV.